(Newswire.net — May 21, 2020) — Senior care has traditionally been one of those areas that politicians have distanced themselves from. For many Americans, it doesn’t carry the same weight as things like abortion or taxation. However, for many of us, senior care is an essential part of taking care of our parents late into their lives. The Administration for Community Living notes that as many as 15% of Americans can now be considered within the senior citizens’ bracket. While it’s nowhere near as extensive a demographic as in countries like Japan or other European locales, this segment of the population is still significant in its number. Sadly, legislators like to pretend that they aren’t leading to the elderly care industry becoming shrouded in secrecy.
Abuse Often Goes Unaddressed
There are a lot of situations where senior citizen abuse goes unremarked on. In a study published by Hawes, et al. in 2009 funded by the National Institute of Justice and US Department of Justice, the authors stated that significant challenges exist that hamper the effective detection and resolution of elder abuse cases. Sadly, even in states where there were adequate laws to address these situations, the difficulty in detecting and prosecuting the wrongdoing persisted. What this suggests is that the problem is less of a legislation issue and more of a systematic issue, suggesting that fundamental change is necessary within the industry as a whole. This change needs to start with legislators. Whether they are aware of the problem or not is questionable, but they should be informed by the people who put them in power. It’s too much of a severe issue to ignore.
Georgia Needs to Remain Vigilant
In a state like Georgia, where senior care reform has flown under the radar for many years, citizens finally have a chance to make a difference. The Georgia Council on Aging has noted that Gov. Brian Kemp seems to have the elderly foremost in his mind since support services for the elderly survived the administration’s most recent round of budget cuts. Despite that, saving the funding of support systems makes no difference if the elderly care sector itself is broken. Senior care reform is a necessity within the state. Unless the authorities take action about it soon, it could lead to even more incidences where elderly citizens are abused in locations where little accountability and transparency exist.
A Humanitarian Effort
This concern shouldn’t be a political issue. Senior citizens still make up a part of the voting populace and are entitled to the rights and freedoms that all citizens hold. That includes the right to entering a senior care facility and not having to worry about being abused or belittled by staff. It also concerns being able to face their tormentors and seeking justice if such an action occurs. The push for senior care reform should come to the forefront as a crucial issue during an election year. Skylark Senior Care holds itself to this standard and believes that other institutions should start to as well. Contact us today if you’d like a senior care center that wants better for the elderly and is willing to stand up for it.