Senior Citizens And Their Bill of Rights
Life seems so unfair at times, especially when it comes to senior citizens. Even if you are the caregiver and you and the senior concerned fight for the person’s rights, there comes many a time when it all seems such an uphill task. Why should you fight for those rights anyway? Shouldn’t they all just come to the seniors naturally? Or because they are old and not in a position to fight for themselves, is the system trying to pull a fast one on them? The point is, just because you grow old is no reason to lose your fundamental rights. Just because you are old is absolutely no reason why you should not be treated with dignity and respect.
No, there are no formal rights regarding the care of senior citizens unfortunately but there are laws that are put down on the care that nursing homes are supposed to give senior residents. This applies to some extent to an assisted facility as well. All of them have contracts and they have to fulfill those obligations and you have to see that they are adhered to.
They have to, for example, adhere to certain basic guidelines when it comes to cleanliness and safety. What is the plan in case of a fire? Is it an easy to follow workable plan? This must be looked at considering that they are dealing with so many old people who move slowly or who might need a lot of help to move. What needs to also be looked at is the power situation. Is there a reliable emergency power backup? This would be vital here in order to see that the elevators were working.
What about the food? You must ensure that the meals that are included must be of good quality and that your parent never lacks the necessary quantities. Check to see what the menus every day are and whether there is too much of a sameness or if there is enough of a variety. Also, ask what the procedure is if the person is too ill to come to the dining area to eat – one would expect the food to be delivered to the room in that case.
The thing is, no matter how ill your parent is, he has rights as well and you have to see that he is given those rights in the place he is in. They can and should have a certain quality of life which no amount of illness can take away. Yes, there are certain rules that will apply but inside his room, he should have the freedom to do what he wants and he should be allowed his privacy when he wants it. This would go for the other members as well as the staff and even guests.
As a senior citizen, it is not too much to ask to be treated with compassion and with dignity. It makes such a difference when the staff uses a friendly personal approach when handling the residents. After all, an assisted facility is not a detention center – it is a place for old people to spend the rest of their days in comfort for which they are paying. So do look carefully into any instances of abuse that your parent might mention and do not ignore it. The facility can be held responsible if this is true. All you need to do is to be a concerned caregiver and the chances of such abuse are usually very slim. This is a must if your parent needs to be at peace in their sunset years.
