The elderly are members of the population who are considered to have lived for long. The exact age is debatable depending on one’s location. However, a general age would be 65 years of age. Government regulations can be defined as laws of the land whose intention is to protect and ensure general well being of a countries’ population.
Current government regulations Government regulations cover a variety of spectra. Ranging from business, marital regulations, healthcare regulations, insurance regulations and a number of social issues.The latter may include: protecting the rights of children and the elderly, rape cases, discrimination or hate related crime. Impact of current regulations on the elderly and elderly abuse, neglect and exploitation The elderly are a needy group in the community.
They lack the physical and mental ability to take care of themselves. They therefore need an external party to step in and protect their interests. The government through its regulations has played its part in this. It has built nursing homes for the elderly; this means that it is inexcusable for family members/anyone living near an elderly person to neglect them.They ought to be taken care of or referred to homes. Regulations are also in place to govern how those nursing homes are run and administered.
The government does not allow embezzlement of funds intended for the elderly by nursing home administrators. It also regulates the state of the conditions in these homes i. e. they must fit a certain standard and fit for human habitation. The government regulates treatment of the elderly in hospitals through Medicare – an insurance policy. This allows the elderly to access medical care despite financial difficulties.
There are regulations regarding exploitation of the elderly by ill intending citizens. For example, an old person may be owning and living in a certain house and no one is allowed to expedite him because of this weakness. Or deny them access to any fund payable to them. (University of Pennsylvania, 1980) Obstacles encountered when meeting needs of the elderly. The elderly are a group that cannot defend themselves against atrocities because they are disabled.
They are unable to voice out discrepancies or fight for what is theirs.It is therefore a big obstacle when trying to meet the needs of the elderly. They may not voice out their frustrations especially those who are too old. Another severe obstacle one can encounter when meeting the needs of the elderly is during healthcare. The government of the US has provided for accessible medical care for the elderly through the policy called Medicare.
But some doctors have decided to subject their elderly patients to the signing of contracts when there is need for special medical services.This may result in extra payments from an elders own pocket. (Dept. f health, 1978) Future trends and changes that are needed in relation to social policy for the elderly to have their need satisfied. The elderly are a group that needs accessible medical services and this is not possible if all the stakeholders are not dancing to the sane tune.
Laws should be put in place to ensure that doctors do not charge elders on the Medicare scheme. Strict laws should also be put in place to control how funds that run personal and nursing care homes are utilized. Social workers should be designated to visit homes that are accused of neglecting their elderly.
