Young, Elderly Depending On Us
The very young and the very old are among our most vulnerable citizens.
Pretend that someone has placed a piece of paper on your back with these words written on it: “Michael Jordan” and “tomato.” You do not know what the words say. But another person, standing in front of you, does. And this person must convey the meaning of the words on your back without using any words at all.
How long do you think it would take you to understand “Michael Jordan”? Or the word “tomato”?
At a recent national conference on aging, participants joined in the above exercise. It was like charades - but no fun at all. You see, this is how older, impaired people feel when they are trying to communicate. Maybe they can’t see much or hear well anymore or their minds are clouded with Alzheimer’s or scrambled from a stroke. They are dependent on others to help them navigate the world, physically and emotionally.
The impaired elderly are among our most vulnerable citizens. As are the youngsters among us - babies, toddlers and preschoolers. They, too, can lack the words and the ability to adequately convey their needs.
As a society, we are responsible for keeping these two vulnerable populations safe.
In Washington state, agencies that protect the very young and very old are trying to make certain that both groups get the best of care when they enter day-care centers and adult family homes.
The state is cracking down on those who provide substandard child care. About 25 day-care centers and in-home providers in Washington state have been shut down in the last two years.
And the state is enforcing stricter regulations required of those who run adult family homes. Older people often live in these homes as an alternative to nursing homes. There are 264 adult family homes in Spokane County. Now, all caretakers must be trained and state inspectors can show up unannounced. In the past year, because of the tighter regulations, the state has shut down one or two adult family homes a month in Eastern Washington compared with one or two a year in the past.
The state inspections have uncovered abuse and neglect of both young and old. For instance, one caregiver was sexually abusing an older woman during baths; another caregiver admitted leaving her 11-year-old son in charge of elderly residents. Child-care inspections have revealed numerous cases of inadequate staffing and dirty, unsafe facilities.
The enforcement of stricter standards has been painful and frustrating for some people running day-care centers and adult family homes. The paperwork and hassle add yet another burden to their already difficult jobs. More regulations increase costs, too, and better ways must be found to pay for both child care and long-term care for the elderly.
But ultimately, the stricter regulations will pay off. The strength of an entire society can be judged on how it treats its weakest members. Washington state’s high standards show we all care.
, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Rebecca Nappi/For the editorial board