Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Tuesday, August 09, 2016

Federal Officials Seek To Stop Social Media Abuse Of Nursing Home Residents

Federal health regulators have announced plans to crack down on nursing home employees who take demeaning photographs and videos of residents and post them on social media.

The move follows a series of ProPublica reports that have documented abuses in nursing homes and assisted living centers using social media platforms such as Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram. These include photos and videos of residents who were naked, covered in feces or even deceased. They also include images of abuse.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees nursing homes, said in a memo to state health departments on Friday that they should begin checking to make sure that all nursing homes have policies prohibiting staff from taking demeaning photographs of residents. The memo also calls on state officials to quickly investigate such complaints and report offending workers to state licensing agencies for investigation and possible discipline. State health departments help enforce nursing home rules for the federal government.

"Nursing homes must establish an environment that is as homelike as possible and includes a culture and environment that treats each resident with respect and dignity," said the memo signed by David Wright, director of the CMS survey and certification group. "Treating a nursing home resident in any manner that does not uphold a resident's sense of self-worth and individuality dehumanizes the resident and creates an environment that perpetuates a disrespectful and/or potentially abusive attitude towards the resident(s)."

More

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe this is indicative of how these places will hire any body.A lot of these people who graduate from a CNA program are "welfare to work" participants.Don't believe me? Visit any area nursing home and take notice.

Anonymous said...

awful, just awful, what pos would do that to someone.

Anonymous said...

You've a whole generation who've been taught that life is cheap. Unborn life, elderly life, handicapped life, INCONVENIENT life does not matter to many.
Time to pay the piper for the lack of respect in our culture.

Anonymous said...

There is no need to worry about this if you take care of your elderly rather than putting them in a nursing home. They took care of you when you were a baby/child, now it is your turn.

Anonymous said...

Some of us elderly have no one else.

Anonymous said...

Does that really matter that they come from welfare?

Anonymous said...

Representatives should pass LAWS ---VIDEO
CAMERAS IN EVERY NOOK/CORNOR OF NURSING
HOMES----PERIOD!!

There is soooo much abuse that never ever
gets told----why---because the abused are
scared for their lives and MUCH MORE SO
IF THE Y HAVE NO FAMILY !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Yeah, this is a real problem. I can't tell you how many graphic emails I get every day depicting this crap.

Mainly because it'd ZERO, and it's NOT a problem!

Gofundme, anyone?

I want cash, cash, cash!