The Guardian Blog : Arizona Nursing Home Lawyer & Attorney : Solomon & Relihan Law Firm : AZ Assisted Living Neglect & Abuse : The Guardian Blog

St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, WI is trying to take stronger precautions in order to prevent C. diff from occurring. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists invited some local hospitals to take larger strides to develop their antimicrobial stewardship programs and to share the lessons with hospitals nationwide. C. diff is more prevalent among patients who take strong antibiotics for other conditions they may have. These drugs typically fight off “good bacteria” that keeps C.diff at bay. It has become increasingly important for doctor’s to closely monitor patient’s antibiotic intake and to make sure that they are only taking antibiotics if they really need them.

Hospitals are also beginning to take other measures to prevent the rise of C. diff. They isolate the patients who are diagnosed with C. diff and use bleach to clean their rooms and also require workers to wash their hands with soap and water once they are in the care with the patient with C. diff because alcohol based gels do not kill the spores. One hospital is also installing an electronic surveillance system in order to monitor the hand washing of employees. Another hospital is studying ultraviolet light that has been shown to disrupt the bacteria’s DNA. This type of deadly bacteria is prevalent among elderly individuals and can affect how long they are admitted to a hospital and how much more specialized treatment they need. It is important to find out whether C. diff is infecting your loved one and whether or not the hospital or medical facility is taking the appropriate precautions in preventing it.
 

Establishing a taskforce here in Arizona is an excellent way to combat the problem of elder abuse that continues to spread throughout the United States. According to statistics from Elder Abuse Daily, roughly 77% of cases involve exploitation against an elderly person while neglect and elder abuse equate to 18% and 20% respectively. Maricopa County alone sees roughly 66,587 reported and unreported cases each year according to EADaily.com.

If this taskforce takes effect successfully, these numbers could potentially be reduced over several years as more and more cases of elder abuse and neglect are either prevented or prosecuted in Arizona. If more of these task forces are incorporated into other states across the nation, this reduction in cases could spread throughout the United States and slowly start to minimize the problem of elder abuse across the nation. If you or anybody you know has been victimized by elder abuse or neglect, you should contact somebody who can get you compensation for damages.
 

Many other reports state that funding for such training programs and programs set in place to assist victims of elder abuse has been dwindling. While that may be the case, this report demonstrates that there are still other programs being funded elsewhere that aim to assist elder abuse victims or law enforcement in charge of preventing elder abuse.

This type of funding for these programs needs to continue in order to provide the type of assistance that elderly victims need in cases of elder abuse or neglect. Several state agencies across the nation have stated that it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to maintain the assistance programs that they currently run due to a lack in funding. Unfortunately, the problem of elder abuse and neglect could continue to rise if funding is cut back. This report demonstrates that the problem of elder abuse and neglect is receiving the attention that it should receive in order to prevent any more occurrences.

Approving these types of bills may not completely prevent elder abuse and neglect from occurring, but it would still bring about stiffer penalties for people that commit such acts. It would allow the victim to get better compensation for any damages or injuries that they may suffer as a result of elder abuse or negligence. If more of these bills are passed into law by the houses of Congress and subsequently by the president of the United States, it would increase the amount of assistance and support that is already in place for elderly residents.

As long as funding for other programs currently in place does not dwindle, bills such as this one in Nevada will only continue to fortify protection for elderly residents. However, if financing does fall, the holes in the protection against elder abuse and neglect will grow bigger and those that are affected by it will continue to suffer tremendously. The increased compensation for victims of elder abuse and neglect is much deserved as they should never have to face a situation where they are victimized in any way.

The report provides one testimonial from an elderly man who suffered falls on a consistent basis. The man stated that after taking the classes that were available, he was able to increase his sense of awareness and ultimately prevent himself from falling.

This is a very good way to help the elderly public and ultimately to prevent severe injuries from occurring. Educating the elderly will greatly decrease the chances of suffering a very serious fall. These classes may also work for elder care assistants and nursing home staff members in order to help elderly individuals as well. There are many ways that classes such as these could potentially prevent extremely serious and even tragic situations from occurring. Statistics show that one in every 3 adults aged 65 or older suffers a serious fall and these falls are statistically the leading cause of injury deaths among adults in this age range as well. Therefore, providing information to people within that age range will help to dramatically reduce these statistics.

The Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services administrator stated they are trying to provide the elderly and disabled adults with more options in terms of health and long-term care provided to them. They strive to educate the public on the differences between home health-care and nursing home or rehab center care. The funding will be used to enhance and develop a number of programs dedicated to providing better care for seniors and disabled adults. The report provides specific information on what services and programs will be aided by this government funding.

New Hampshire is one of many states following the path of assisting the elderly and disabled adults in finding more adequate or affordable care for them. Many people don’t always know where to turn to get the best care that will be suited for them, therefore, developing specific programs and providing information to elders and disabled adults should prove to be effective in this cause.
 

The task force set up by Elder Services provides a way for elderly individuals with hoarding issues to get help. According to the report, many of the incident reports that the Elder Services sees involve a serious problem with hoarding. Roughly 11 to 15 percent of the cases that pass to protective services in several areas throughout Massachusetts involved hoarding cases.

People often look at the clutter in their garage or their closets and don’t give it a second though, only to see it pile up higher and higher as the days and weeks go by. Although it may not pose a threat or a problem at first, in time it can inevitably become a safety hazard. This can occur mainly if a person’s belongings are blocking exits and entrances into the home or if there are scraps of food rotting in the home. Things like this can pose a safety and health risk.

This is another part of the Canadian government’s campaign for ending elder abuse. The campaign is said to provide a total of over $8.5 million in funding for helping seniors. A report on Tillsonburgnews.com provides information on the types of funding that are available including the amount of funding and details on how the funding is to be used.

The federal government in both Canada and the United States have taken huge strides in providing assistance or senior citizens. There is no information whether the Canadian government’s campaign or the government funded employee screening programs in the U.S. have worked to reduce elder abuse. However, as the programs and funding continue to mature, the statistics of elder abuse cases in both Canada and the United States should see a dramatic decrease. Coupled with the availability of information on elder abuse and injuries to seniors provided to the public, elder abuse and injuries should begin to diminish.
 

Minister of the State Diane Ablonczy stated that this campaign will provide information and encouragement to seek help in the event of financial exploitation. The campaign is said to span from October to December and it is part of a three-year initiative called the Federal Elder Abuse Awareness Initiative. Through this initiative, the Canadian government hopes to educate Canadians on the signs and symptoms of elder financial abuse in order to impede the problem.

This is one of many government programs being conducted throughout North America. There are many acts becoming part of federal law that aid in preventing elder financial abuse, and other types of abuse or neglect. This is necessary in order to reduce the statistics of these types of incidents. Educating others is one of many steps that can be taken in order to ensure the safety of elderly individuals. As more and more people become aware of the signs and symptoms of elder abuse, the problem will soon diminish entirely.
 

Any person that has a criminal history will automatically be disqualified for the position. According to the report, Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida Missouri and Rhode Island are the six states currently funded to develop this program. 11 more states may be included in the future as early as November. The total amount the U.S. government will spend will be $160 million to allow all 50 states to develop this program in nursing home care facilities.

Creating a program that would disqualify certain people from becoming elder care personnel would prevent intentional abuse or neglect, especially those that have multiple convictions for elder abuse. Although this does not account for accidents where elder individuals may be hurt, this program seems to be a major step in preventing elder abuse or neglect.
 

However, this proposal calls for all nursing homes to call a coroner to report a death in the facility regardless if staff believes it is due to natural causes or not. The state Attorney General’s Office is reportedly backing this proposal as well in order to be aware of any and all potential cases of abuse or neglect in nursing home facilities in the state. The report states that coroners in the state of Kentucky will receive training to become familiar with the signs of elder abuse or neglect. The report also states that the Attorney General’s Office is pushing for more severe punishments for elder abuse/neglect incidents.

By implementing this proposal, the belief is that wrongful deaths causes by abuse and neglect  would be reduced because there would be an unbiased second party (the coroner) involved in the matter to determine for themselves if the incident is abuse/neglect-related or not. Adding this sort of law seems like a good idea on paper. Since a coroner is trained in determining cause of death in any situation (either by means of chemicals or physical abuse) then there would be no way for a nursing home facility to falsify information to prevent any of the consequences. While it has yet to be seen whether this law will aid in reducing elder abuse and neglect cases, it seems very likely that it will have a drastic effect.
 

According to the report, the District Attorney’s office has provided information to various senior centers regarding the warning signs of elder abuse and how to prevent from becoming a victim. They have also provided information and examples on fraudulent financial actions that often take place against elders.

In the report, the DA stated that recognizing, reporting and investigating crimes of this nature has become increasingly important. Creating this position for an investigator to assist in investigating specific elder abuse cases is an excellent way to aid in combating elder abuse. There has always been a concern for ensuring the public’s safety in other matters. However, since elder abuse is a continuing problem that does not seem to cease, it is becoming extremely important to have specialized investigators to provide assistance to elders in case of an attack or abuse.
 

In July, we reported on the creation of the task force to investigate the reporting of nursing home abuse and neglect. The task force was formed after an investigation by the Kentucky Herald-Ledger uncovered evidence that severe cases of nursing home neglect and abuse were not being properly investigated and prosecuted. The investigation found that of the 107 Type A citations filed in the previous year, only seven were prosecuted as crimes.

The 20 recommendations put forth by the task force include:

· Improve agency notifications of suspected adult abuse and neglect;
· Establish regional specialized Adult Protective Service teams within the Department for Community Based Services;
· Establish joint investigative teams to allow better information sharing;
· Utilize coroners’ offices more effectively throughout investigations;
· Increase training of long-term care investigators in the Office of Inspector General;
· Explore the possibility of purchasing investigative technology;
· Revitalize the Elder Abuse Committee to carry out statutory functions;
· Provide additional training for law enforcement agencies and prosecutors on elder abuse and neglect issues;
· Amend licensure regulations to require in-service training on abuse and neglect for all long-term care facility staff; and
· Publish Statements of Deficiencies issued by the Office of Inspector General in an easy-to-use format for the public.

Kentucky is to be applauded for taking steps in the right direction and other states, including Arizona, should follow its lead. Until that happens, however, nursing home residents and their loved ones should always be on the lookout for signs of abuse and neglect and should contact an attorney if they suspect abuse.

According to the report, caseworkers assist residents of the apartments to conduct their necessary daily activities including grocery shopping, medical appointments and other necessities. The article provides a link to find more information regarding the program including contact information.

More programs such as this one should be set in place in order to provide some semblance of assistance for elder abuse victims. In the United States, there have been laws put in place in order to provide justice for victims of elder abuse. Combining this with programs developed by an organization such as the YWCA or any other organization will not only help elderly people get the justice they deserve but also get the care and assistance they require as well. In most elder abuse incidents, the victim may often feel lost and incapable of getting any sort of assistance that they need. This especially applies when they are taken away from a caregiver that is also a relative. Some victims often feel as though they may never get back the type of assistance they need. With more programs such as this being created, it will allow victims to have a sense of assurance in knowing that there is still a way for them to get help.
 

The report states that training will be set forth for employees of banks and other financial institutions that have direct contact with customers. Training will be provided to identify certain signs of elder financial abuse and how to go about reporting any incidents that have occurred. In the future, bank examinations will require this training to be instated. The report also goes on to provide several signs that elder financial abuse may be occurring.

This is yet another important step in preventing elder financial abuse, which is a crime that occurs very frequently. In most cases, elderly individuals are not always aware of any crimes taking place on their finances and that is how most get away with the crime. By creating laws of this nature and establishing other meaningful ways to detect and prevent elder abuse, it will have a drastic effect on the reduction of this crime in the future.

The training is a grant funded effort by the nonprofit organization in order to provide information on the warning signs of elder abuse and to provide general information including statistics about elder abuse. The current training sessions are provided to the western areas of North Carolina.

Creating programs such as this one is an excellent idea to make the public aware of the things that go on regarding elder abuse. It is a problem that affects thousands of victims and there is many forms, which in many ways, makes it harder to pinpoint and prevent. However, with these types of programs set in place, the public will become more aware of the warning signs of elder abuse and be able to prevent their loved ones or even somebody they may know from becoming a victim of elder abuse. This information could also be useful for nonprofit to establish programs such as this one in the state of Arizona.