When does quality of life end? Are we all to be taken care of until the day we die? Do the elderly have the same rights as their younger counterparts? I believe that from the moment you are born to the moment that you die, you ought to receive the required amount of care to not just survive, but to lead a happy, healthy life.
Unfortunately, we all reach an age where we can not necessarily care for ourselves anymore. Many look to nursing homes to look after their mental and physical health. Although many nursing home employees are compassionate, others are only there to take advantage of aging residents. According to a 2001 Congressional report, one-third of the United States' 1,600 nursing homes were cited for an abuse violation. This abuse ranges from dehydration to death. Sexual, physical, and verbal abuses were all reported. This figure is projected to double, with the addition of the baby boomer group now being subject to assisted living facilities.
This abuse must end. Human quality of life is far too precious for selfish individuals to exploit. Luckily, on November 3rd, 2008, along with many other bills, a bill has been submitted to make stricter requirements for the hiring of employees for care giving facilities. Potential workers must undergo fingerprint-based background checks and criminal background checks. I really hope that the House and the Senate will realize that it is imperative to have the appropriate staff to ensure the health, safety, and happiness of our elderly.
2 comments:
After reading the Blog on When does Quality of Life End? I was appalled about the statistics of nursing home abuse and the number of facilities had been cited. How scary to know that you may be putting your loved one into the care of a monster, who might abuse them in ways unimaginable.
I agree with the author, something must be done. A start is passing a bill to enforce stricter enforcement on hiring requirements for care giving facilities. I truly hope they do not stop there. The punishment for this type of abuse should be harder and come with stiffer consequences.
The thought of anyone putting a loved one into a facility only to find out they are abused has got to be a horrific event that will forever change the life of all involved. The Nursing Home industry should really work on the requiring more structured education as well as continuing education classes in required subjects, as well as scheduled mental evaluations.
Until we start taking care of our elderly as we take care of our children, we will continue to see senseless abuse and deaths of our mothers, fathers, aunts and uncles.
I agree with the idea that the quality of life should be from birth to death. There are a lot of laws in place to protect children in daycares, why shouldn't the same be true for the elderly. Many of the elderly in nursing homes have about as much ability to take care of themselves as children. Some don't have the cognitive ability to report those who abuse them, like children. The measures taken to protect children should be in place to protect the elderly in nursing homes.
If the new laws work, they will undoubtedly prohibit many potential employees from getting the job. With the pool of potential employees shrinking and the need for nursing homes about to dramatically increase with the baby boomers becoming older, is there going to be enough people to take care of the elderly? I don't have the information to know what will disqualify the potential employee. Is it any crime that will get someone excluded or just violent crimes. What about a reformed ex-con with a family to feed, he has kept his job at a nursing home for years and has never even thought about committing another crime, will he lose his job? It is already quite hard for ex-cons to find a job. Is this new law going to make it safer for the elderly or harder for reformed ex cons.
I know that the world isn't black and white. The shades of gray are what get us into trouble. I hope that the writers of the law take the gray into consideration. It is often impossible to tell if people have changed but that doesn't mean they cant. I don't know if a middle road is possible, where good ex-cons can keep their jobs and the bad ones get fired, but its worth hoping for.
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