What Did You Know About Elder Abuse?

[military girl]

Hello all,

I am doing a project on elder abuse. I was just wondering, what did you know about the abuse before anyone told you about it. Trying to get some really good responses.

[jyoung1950]

Hello all,

I am doing a project on elder abuse. I was just wondering, what did you know about the abuse before anyone told you about it. Trying to get some really good responses.

I think we all knew about the obvious abuses in the nursing home industry because of the shows on it on shows such as "60 Minutes," etc.

Having worked up until recently at LTC, I believe there is still alot of abuse going on; however, it is indirect.

When administration cuts costs and keeps the ratio of staff to resident as low as they can, they commit the abuse of neglect. Staff can only physically do so much for their residents. When you have a barebones staff, tasks such as restorative fly out the window. A resident may be diapered up at the beginning of the shift and not be able to get checked till last rounds, 7 hours later.

When administration cuts cost, food quality suffers. There were times when I'd think to myself that convicts in prison got better food than the poor, law-abiding souls I was entrusted to care for.

Corners are cut in housekeeping, maintenance. Our maintenance department put bandaids on problems and nothing would get fixed until they broke down beyond repair.

Please, when you do your report, don't focus only on the few and far between direct care staff that are ignorant. Please remember that administration and accounting departments contribute to abuse.

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

Elder abuse occurs everywhere...not just in LTC facilities or hospitals. Elder abuse is soooo under reported. We look at the abuse of children and everyone is aware of neglect, physical and emotional abuses that occur to them, but we see so many of our residents coming from home with abusive caregivers or family. Please look at those issues too...

[Marti Ann]

Hello all,

I am doing a project on elder abuse. I was just wondering, what did you know about the abuse before anyone told you about it. Trying to get some really good responses.

This is a wonderful web site and list server I use for elderly abuse. As an Ombudsman and nurse, we fight for the rights of elderly residents every single day. If you have a questions or I can help you, please email me can [email protected]

http://www.elderabusecenter.org