Elderly people are being raped, abused, robbed from, and in some cases murdered in our nursing homes in America. I think that this is a crying shame for this to happen to someone at the end of life's journey. There needs to be many changes to the way we treat the elderly and disabled so that they may enjoy the little time they may have left, and rest in peace. .
The saddest thing about our aged being abused is that the nursing homes either ignore these issues, or cover them up. It is appalling that these facilities fail to eliminate these problems. We need to stop losing sight of the harsh reality of what is taking place, and make them safer. A good way of doing this is by holding the owners of these homes partially responsible. Some form of punishment should be handed out; heavy fines, and in some extreme cases, jail time should be served.
There are many other ways to keep our older generations safe. We need to get our State Health Departments more involved in who is working at our nursing facilities. Strict background checks would decrease the number of felons being employed at these homes. A big problem is the lack of communication between states regarding their nursing employees. A national registry that connects each state would remove the lack of communication.
It is most heart breaking to see people ending their lives in fear of their caretakers. We need to stop letting these crimes be ignored, and hold these evil people accountable. Let the elderly go out in peace, not in fear of their lives.