Elder care

I wish to thank The Jerusalem Post for publishing two articles on its February 20 front page that exposed shocking findings of abuse and neglect of the elderly at a nursing home in Haifa (“Five arrested for abuse at nursing home,” “Litzman: I will ensure safety of the elderly”). We might wonder if this is merely the tip of an ugly iceberg.

For the past several months, my husband has been a patient in the dementia unit of a nursing home in Jerusalem. Watching the nursing staff, I have come to have enormous respect for their devotion and dedicated work. However, I have also recognized that as the number of elderly patients escalates, there is no corresponding rise in the number of skilled workers who are trained to care for them.

In response to the recent findings of abuse, Health Ministry officials have called for tougher supervision of institutions, increased numbers of inspectors and more surprise inspections. These measures might address the problem but they will not solve it.

The following are only a few of the changes that should be implemented:

• There should be significantly enhanced use of volunteers who are screened, trained and supervised to provide valuable support to the professional staff.

• Patient advocates should be assigned to observe ongoing care and make relevant recommendations to administrative personnel.

• Substantial incentives in the form of recognition, rewards and bonuses should be offered to those who provide exemplary care.

Improving care of the elderly is a responsibility that should be shared by all of us. Organizations and foundations need to join together, share their ideas and resources, and focus their combined efforts on this vital task.

ELLEN B. SUCOV

Jerusalem