Protect the Elderly: Stop Cutting Nursing Home Investigations!
Nursing homes and elder-care facilities were meant to provide care for our most vulnerable citizens. The reality is that the system is broken and unreliable, and is causing more harm than good. Patients are being neglected, abused, and treated with such low standards that they are dying.
Reports of patients being repeatedly molested, beyond-unsanitary patient care and failures to call 911 during emergencies are all going unnoticed. Patients have also reportedly been sedated with potentially dangerous drugs, despite FDA warnings. Patients deserve better than this, but their complaints continue to go unheard.
In a provision under the Affordable Care Act, major cuts were made to watchdog programs, audits that investigate nursing home complaints and address healthcare fraud. These programs are a vital safety net for vulnerable patients.
Reform is clearly needed, and downgrading these audits is not the answer. Something needs to be done, or more unjust facility-caused neglect, injuries and deaths will continue to occur.
Tell President Obama to stop allowing these vital programs to be cut from the Affordable Care Act!
Dear President Obama,
I am writing to express my concern about what's been happening in nursing and elder-care homes throughout the US. Several serious injuries and even deaths have been uncovered, but nothing has been done about it because of your recent provisions to the Affordable Care Act, which significantly cuts watchdog programs that audit nursing homes.
This is absolutely unacceptable. Facilities are getting away with mistreating and neglecting patients. With the lack of watchdog programs, no one will be monitoring these facilities to make sure patients are not being mistreated.
Many nursing homes are already on the state's watch list, with histories of corruption and problems in staffing, and patient care, and yet they continue to operate. This cannot be allowed to continue.
I am calling on you to improve the standards of care and implement more watchdog programs for nursing homes and elder-care facilities, not cut them.
[Your comments will go here]
Sincerely,
[Your name will go here]
Se flere underskriftsindsamlinger: 