By Beth Johnson
January 18, 200
For more than an hour a 91-year-old man sleeps, face down on a card table, spilled cranberry juice pools by his cheek as nursing home staff pass without a glance.
It smells like urine and it's crowded.
They can't get out. But they all want to -- even the staff.
"Remind me again why I work here?" an exasperated worker says, throwing back her head and rolling her eyes.
Overworked staff are cranky and impatient in the dementia and Alzheimer's ward of this Ottawa nursing home. One raises her voice and swipes an old woman's plastic drinking cup, admonishing her for drinking her tablemates' milk.
More and more seniors are being hurt -- financially, emotionally and physically -- by the people who are supposed to protect them.
"It's overwhelming, the abuse that's going on," Ottawa police Staff Sgt. John McGetrick said.
INVESTIGATIONS
Since January 2005, The Ottawa Police Service elder abuse unit has investigated 468 cases, including;
81 at private retirement homes.
98 at regulated long-term care homes.
33 involving personal support workers in the client's own home.
256 cases involving suspected family members of the victim.
The unit has made 57 arrests and laid 623 charges.
Abridged
SOURCE: The Ottawa Sun
------------------------------------------------
This is happening in many more countries. The difference - many other countries chose NOT to highlight the situation of Abuse of Elderly. Just check out the media in countries, other than the UK, USA and Canada. One would think that Elder Abuse only occur in those 3 countries and nowhere else.
The truth is quite the opposite. Let us not kid ourselves. If the citizens ignore the problem too, then the government will quite happily NOT raise the issue. Try contacting the relevant government department. How often do we get the usual: "We are awaiting a report from this group or that group"..." Since we came into government we have allocated so much funding for this and that...." Sound familiar?
No comments:
Post a Comment