HAMBLEN COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — As the adult population of Tennessee grows, the number of vulnerable seniors is rising and many lower-income individuals who need support turn to group homes. However, there are not enough licensed group homes to meet the need. Now, new legislation hopes to fill the void with smaller licensed homes.
The legislation, which passed this year, created what is called elderly residential homes. The aim is to provide a licensed home where people who have lost the ability to live independently, can live together with one or two more people. The advantage of these homes is to open the door to more individuals who need assistance and to reduce the number of unlicensed homes.
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Zonna’s Place in Hamblen County was forced to close three years ago. We were there when nine residents living at the group home began moving out . The state found Zonna’s Place was too crowded, originally 13 residents were in six different rooms. The state Fire Marshal discovered fire safety and electrical code violations with no easy way of escaping the home for some residents if there was an emergency.
Zonna’s Place was unlicensed, yet it had been operating as a group home for several years. So how did it fly under the radar? First, it was in a private home with no complaints until one was filed. Don Gulley, a widower, had lived in the home since 2019…