A recent television news program by a station in Toronto, Canada had several installments of investigations into abuse of residents by fellow residents and staff in nursing homes. And it didn't end there! It discussed the fact that seniors in their own homes experience abuse at the hands of family or caregivers. Read the whole story HERE. "Elder abuse is a sad reality that is under-reported and under-estimated. It knows no boundaries. It may take the form of physical, financial, sexual, emotional abuse and neglect. Financial abuse, with misappropriation of...

Here's a story out of the UK about elder abuse and hidden cameras. You can read the whole story HERE. Earlier this year the chief inspector for social care and Care Quality Commission in the UK discussed the possibility of using hidden cameras as one way to tackle the problem of elder abuse in nursing homes. Elder abuse in nursing homes has become rampant with as many as 60% of all residents being abused either physically or emotionally, financially or psychologically. Using food as a weapon is common. With so...

click for more details The BBC program "Panorama" uncovered systematic abuse of residents at a care facility called Winterbourne View near Bristol. This was the catalyst for the watchdog Care Quality Commission (CQC) to use hidden cameras in care homes to prevent abuse and neglect. They will also use ‘mystery shopper’ type schemes as it looks to protect vulnerable people “by any means possible” in the wake of the Winterbourne View scandal. Read the whole story HERE Elder abuse in long-term care facilities is near epidemic proportions and will probably...

"First it was video surveillance cameras in infant nurseries. Now some families are placing them in elderly loved ones' rooms in nursing homes, to spot neglect and abuse. And some states are making it legal. The New York Times Wellness Blog has a fascinating report by Jan Hoffman about the new "watchful eye in nursing homes." Hoffman describes how one woman placed a motion-activated camera that looked like an ordinary looking alarm clock beside her 96-year-old mother's bed in an Oklahoma nursing home. What she saw led to the Mayberry...

click for more info "Outlining her priorities for the Care Quality Commission (CQC), chief inspector of adult social care Andrea Sutcliffe said more would be done to involve members of the public and expert teams in the monitoring of care homes and other adult care services. Among a series of proposals set for public consultation next year, the CQC intends to allocate ratings for every care home and adult social care service by March 2016 – ranking services as outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate. The rest of the story...

Hidden cameras and mystery-shopper exercises may form part of a revamped inspection regime for care homes and domiciliary care in England next year. New adult social care chief inspector Andrea Sutcliffe said she wanted to explore the role such techniques could play in uncovering abuse and neglect. But she admitted their use would have to be balanced against the need for privacy and dignity in such settings. The move will be considered ahead of the launch of a new system next year. The rest of the story is HERE. From...

A family is relieved after the woman who abused a grandmother at an Arlington nursing pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing. Mynez Carter, 84, was shown being roughed up in hidden camera video that aired in a FOX4 report last August. Maria Acosta, 44, the worker at the nursing home, pleaded guilty to her role in the case and will soon be sentenced. Monday was the first time Carter's family faced Acosta in court and they will have the opportunity to give a victim's impact statement after Acosta is sentenced. "I...

An employee, who police say they caught on camera stealing from a wheelchair-bound patient, is set to answer charges in court. Lexington Police charged 52-year-old Marsha Woods with burglary. Police say Morning Pointe Assisted Living, where Woods worked, notified police after getting complaints of a theft. The rest of the story is HERE. According to court documents, a patient at Morning Pointe had reported several instances of theft from her room. The manager, then, decided to set up a hidden camera. They also put $300 of the center's money on...