Seniors deserve compassionate care

Senior citizens in our country deserve nothing but the best. They are parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. Sadly, some seniors have no surviving or involved family at all, which is all the more reason they must be looked after.

Thankfully, the U.S. Department of Justice will launch 10 regional elder justice task forces across the country. The priority will be the safety, protection and care of senior citizens. These task forces will bring together federal, state and local prosecutors, law enforcement and agencies that provide services to the elderly to coordinate and enhance efforts to pursue action against nursing homes that provide grossly substandard care to residents.

While most nursing homes do things the right way, we sometimes hear about seniors being treated horribly and living in sub-par conditions in nursing homes. Mistreatment of the elderly isn’t limited to physical abuse, it can also be emotional and financial.

There is no place for this in our society, and these task forces should put these facilities on notice that cruel treatment toward seniors won’t be tolerated, and that if it occurs, those responsible will be held accountable.

The first step will be holding periodic meetings with law enforcement and government agencies to streamline the process of getting information into the right hands.

The second role of the task forces is community outreach. Task force members will attend community events to get the word out and make themselves available to hear public comments. It’s important to get the word out to the public that this is a high priority for these task forces.

The final step is working with Medicaid and Medicare programs and making sure any failure to provide proper care is referred to law enforcement.

Overall, the task force wants to ensure that our senior citizens are safe. Establishing these task forces is a great start toward ensuring that our senior citizens are safe and treated well.

Through these task forces, much-needed attention is being brought forward about abuse of the elderly, whether physically, emotionally or financially.

Bowling Green Police Department spokesman Officer Ronnie Ward put it best when he said, “When more attention is focused on a problem, it’s always good for people to be aware and understand what constitutes a crime.”

These task forces will do just that and then some.

— Anyone who suspects elder abuse may call anonymously to a 24-hour toll-free hotline at 1-800-752-6200.

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Seniors deserve compassionate care