Public Welfare And Nepa Ethical Issues

Ethical and legal Issues on Nepa vs. Commonwealth department of Public Welfare

Ethical and legal Issues on Nepa vs Commonwealth department of Public Welfare

Eugenia Ortiz

University of The Incarnate Word

The Purpose of this paper is to highlight the ethical and legal implication on the case Nepa vs Commonwealth department of Public Welfare. Abuse and neglect in long-term health care facilities is very common and is often perpetrated against the most vulnerable and defenseless elderly individuals. An example of this type abuse can be witnessed in the Case Nepa vs Commonwealth department of Public Welfare where the evidence and facts indeed supported the court findings of abuse and neglect

Senior citizen abuse and neglect has recently increased in our society that it’s becoming a common occurrence in the life cycle of elderly individuals. “Senior abuse is the harmful treatment of older people and includes abandonment; emotional, financial (e.g., theft or misuse of a senior individual’s money or property by a person in a position of trust), verbal, mental, sexual, or physical abuse; corporal punishment; and involuntary restraint and seclusion. Neglect is the failure to provide the care necessary to prevent physical harm (e.g., the failure of staff to turn a patient periodically to prevent pressure sores) or mental anguish.”(Pozgar, 2016, pg, 422). Abuse of the elderly is often occurring in the places where they have no choice but to spend the rest of their days due to illness or inability to take care of their activities of daily living. Nursing homes or long-term health care independent living communities are often the sites where unreported abuse and neglect occur because the residents often trust these places and feel safe. However, it requires a special staff dedicated to treat every resident with

Many communities are enacting laws and systems that allow for the early recognition of neglect and abuse as well as processes that enables cognitive and physically impaired adults to to report such maltreatment. “The Medicare program requires that nursing facilities screen and monitor elders for signs and symptoms associated with mistreatment” (nursingworld.org, 2016, p 26). Health care professionals interface with elderly patients on a daily basis. As a result, they need to be more aware of sings of abuse and neglect. Caregivers have the duty to report and are obligated by the law to report any sign of abuse. Often senior citizens are afraid to report abuse because they are ashamed or afraid of retaliation. Many times the abuse can also happen at home. All health care professional must be advocates for their patients regardless if they are 1 day old or 100 years. As a result from this court proceeding, there has been and increase in organizations available to help report abuse and neglect of the elderly. “State Boards of Nursing, the National Center on Elder Abuse, Eldercare Locator/Area Agencies on Aging, and the National Long Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center.” (nursingworld.org, 2016, p