Time Magazine Zeroes In on Horrific Abuse in Residential Care

An investigative reporter at a major news weekly recently published a blueprint for preventing the terrible abuse and neglect that routinely occur in institutions that are supposed to serve individuals with disabilities. Citing investigations by The New York Times and the Miami Herald, which uncovered ongoing violations – including those leading to deaths – in such institutions, Time magazine’s Maia Szalavitz came up with a template for putting an end to such abuse. Her suggestions include intensive oversight and “redundant checks on power,” frequent and unannounced inspections, a reduction in stigma, and adequate funding. “If we want the elderly, disabled and others living in institutions to be safe and well cared for, we need to value them both emotionally and financially,” Szalavitz writes. “That’s not what’s going on now.”

Source: http://healthland.time.com/2011/06/07/why-so-much-abuse-is-allowed-to-continue-in-residential-care/ Reposted at darkestcloset.bloggerspot.com