Elder Abuse in Nursing Homes Term Paper

If one takes into account that the number of elderly in nursing homes in the country is on the increase, then the need for an adequate awareness of and research into the problem becomes evident.

One of the central questions that need to be addressed is why this form of abuse occurs with such general frequency. While there will always be those few individuals who should not be in responsible positions of care in nursing homes, this does not explain the wide and extensive range of abuse cases that have been reported. In other words there should be more in - depth research into the underlying causative factors that are behind these alarming abuse statistics. As Benson (1996) emphasizes, "... those who commit crimes, who abuse or neglect, clearly, solutions must be found to prevent this type of problem from continuing, and ombudsmen play key roles in identifying the problem in many areas" (Testimony on Elderly Abuse in Nursing Homes by William F. Benson).

On the other hand there are many ongoing attempts to remedy the present situation. Among the many options that are proposed to deal with nursing home abuse are the following: Improved coordination between the various agencies, such as law enforcement, regulatory, protective services, and advocacy organizations that are involved in nursing home care. (Nerenberg, 2002) an important aspect that is in urgent need of consideration is the question of improved conditions for staff and care workers in nursing homes. This also includes "... enhanced communication between direct care and administrative staff, more time to nurture relationships between staff and residents, humane salaries, opportunities for upward mobility, and greater recognition, respect and understanding for the difficult lives many workers lead" (Nerenberg, 2002).

Another proposal that has received attention is that the training of staff and workers should be improved. Training should focus more on interpersonal caregiving skills, managing difficult resident care situations, problem-solving and cultural issues. (Nerenberg, 2002). There should also be the development of an ethos of reporting perceived abuse in nursing homes.Other suggestions for improvement include a greater compliance with and adherence to federal regulations and a stricter enforcement of mandatory regulations.

In the final analysis nursing homes should ideally be an environment of care and concern for those who are too old and incapable of helping themselves. While there has been in recent years a tendency to return to community assistance for the elderly, in reality the increasing numbers of elderly people in our society necessitates the use of nursing homes. Coupled with this is the decrease in more traditional extended family forms of caring for the aged. This means that in the future abuse in nursing homes will have to be remedied through strict and comprehensive measures backed up by research.

References

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Nerenberg, L. (2002) Abuse in Nursing Homes. National Center on Elder

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Nursing Home Abuse. U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Government Reform- Minority Office. Retrieved April 9, at http://www.elderabusecenter.org/default.cfm?p=nursinghomeabuse.cfm

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