CBS News aired a report last night (Nov. 13th) on the abuse and neglect that occurs in assisted living homes.
The short report, by Armen Keteyian, touched on a couple of the issues that have been covered here and on other blogs repeatedly. The main focus of the report was the dangerous combination of problems within the industry and little to no oversight.
The report and video can be found on the CBS website here.
Now the reason for this post. The majority of the comments on the CBS website under the article have been from within the industry and they are taking this opportunity to deny, spin and shift blame. Reports like this on national news shows are too important to allow to be defused like this.
I'm asking, and hoping for, readers here to leave a couple of comments under the article on the CBS website letting the public know that there is indeed a problem, there is indeed too much abuse and neglect and that something needs to be done.
I left my comment under the name keith1740.
Wonderful! I'll go on and post a comment. Good work!
Posted by: Karma | November 20, 2006 at 02:40 PM
They won't let me make a comment because it says that they only allow comments for the fisrt 72 hours after a story is published.
But, let me just use this space to say that I am appauled by the comments that I saw there blaming people's families for what happens in ALFs. I think that is really unfair and unreasonable, especially since it expects families to go against what they are being told by the ALFs (that they are capable of taking care of people with more needs). Plus, at my mom's facility, they did an amazing job at the beginning but then cut back as the place filled up, which I think is common. Mom's place was the best place in town. We did all the research. But then it changed.
Cudos to CBS for doing the story and to Keith for the post.
Posted by: Karma | November 20, 2006 at 03:19 PM
I can't believe some of those administrators were blaming the FAMILIES of residents/patients. How unsettling. Wish I could have gotten a comment in sooner. The facility my grandmother is at is VERY good at what they do, and we are in there frequently to notice anything suspect, however, the home and other ALF’s are constantly overwhelmed, and as good as the place where my grandmother is, I see the strain of the staff and the residents. I'm always afraid that strain is going to turn into neglect, and then neglect to ....?....
Posted by: Holly | November 28, 2006 at 02:52 PM
Visiting often is so important. Unfortunately, ALF's need constant monitoring themselves. For those in the industry to give the impression that all is well is shameful.
Posted by: AlzHub | December 16, 2006 at 12:08 AM