91-Year-Old's Death Highlights Problems with Elder Care
According to the Los Angeles Times, a 91-year-old woman who was under the care of her 26-year-old great-niece died weighing only 35 pounds with sores all over her body. The 26-year-old was attempting to get her great-aunt to drink water when she stopped breathing. The woman tried calling 9-1-1 but was medical personal could not revive the woman.
The sores the elderly woman suffered went to the bone and a metal rod that was inserted during hip surgery was exposed and visible. The 26-year-old woman was subsequently arrested and charged with negligent care of the 91-year-old. She was charged with criminal negligence, according to the report. The trial revealed several things that doctors and court systems should be taking into account; the question of when inadequate or untrained care becomes criminal negligence. The report states elderly people aged 85-years and older are a growing population and these questions are more important than they ever have been.
The questions this report raises are extremely important and when choosing a facility to care for your loved ones, or providing care for them yourself, you should keep these questions in mind in order to provide adequate care for your loved ones. There is no reason why your loved ones should not be left with inadequate care and they should not be left with a person who will simply force them to fend for themselves and neglect them. The elderly not only require extensive and adequate care but they deserve to have proper care for their health concerns. Although the 26-year-old woman in this incident may have legitimately been trying to provide adequate care for her great-aunt, she may have been properly trained to provide adequate care. In these instances, people trying to provide care for their loved ones should seek assistance from a trained medical professional to prevent any serious injuries from occurring.
