Nursing Homes

Nursing Homes

  • Submitted By: 0827289
  • Date Submitted: 02/17/2009 11:54 PM
  • Category: Social Issues
  • Words: 2584
  • Page: 11
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JD Garcia

Professor Karr

English 3430

30 July 2008

The Abuse and Negligence inside Nursing Homes

Eight years ago my family was forced into making a difficult decision that would ultimately affect the life of a very special individual. After the passing of my grandfather in 1999, my grandmother suffered a stroke that would alter the way she was going to live the rest of her life. With the inability to ultimately care for her well being, our family now had to decide what needed to be done to care her. Their first option was to move into a family member’s house and have them care for her while everyone else took turns caring for her on the weekend. But overall that became extremely stressful and difficult for everyone involved. So the alternative option even though was very difficult to decide was to admit her into a nursing home facility. At least there she would be provided around the clock medical attention that she would ultimately need.

But when considering the option of sending her to a nursing home, the last words anyone thought of in this situation were the two unthinkable words of abuse and negligence. But in today’s society these two words have become more common in nursing home facilities across the United States. And while thousands of Americans are ultimately having to face this decision everyday, a lot of people are either unaware or are in denial of what could possibly happen to their loved one inside these nursing homes.

History

In the early 1900’s the means of caring for the elderly and disable consisted of sending them to poor farms or almshouses which were known for being a place with horrible living conditions and inadequate caring . This continued to be a place that housed the elderly until a group of immigrant communities established organizations that would ultimately care for these individuals until the 1930’s. Then in the 1930’s “The New Deal” helped promote the idea that elderly citizens should...

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