4. June 2009 by student.

 The Special Investigation Division of the House Government Committee found that 30% of nursing homes in the US, 5,283 facilities were cited for almost 9,000 instances of abuse over a two year period from 1999 to 2001. As of now, every year, tens of thousand of elderly americans are abused in their own homes, in relative’s homes, and even in facilities.    The National Center for Health Statistics has surveyed 4,646 nursing home residents that aimed to determine why they entered nursing homes. People enter nursing homes for non medical reasons, because their families are no l0nger have the energy or resources to care for them; and they require help in the basic activities of daily living, bathing, dressing, toilet, transfer, continence, and eating, or loss of cognition function. Many non profesional caregivers, spouses,adult children, other relatives, and friends.The responsibilities and demands of elder caregiving, which escalate as the elder’s condition deteriorates, can be extremely  stressful. The stress of elder care can lead to mental and physical health problems that make the caregivers burned out, impatient, and unable to keep from lashing out against elders  in their care. They have too much responsibilities, unsuited to caregiving or work under poor condition. For example; caregivers in nursing home. Each care giver have a minimum of 6 to 12 elderly in their care. Each shift have their time to do certain things such as bathing. They woke people up at 6:00 a.m. so they will be ready for breakfast at 7:30, or 8a.m. If they take care that much people, how do they do their job without hurting them, or how do they do a good job if they don’t have enough time to do the job? Unintentionally, they are hurting their patients who are already hurting emotionally and physically. According to Adult Protective Services, 500,000 to 1000,000 reports of elderly abuse recorded by authorities every year that the vast majority of which are proven to be true. Some abuse are such as; bed sores because caregivers neglected to turn patients on time, and not chaging soiled depends and linens often. Elderly also suffer from inadequate medical care, malnutrition, dehydration, falls, inadequate sanitation and hygiene. Is this what older people deserve after all the things they have done to their families, and to their country? NO!! They deseve respect, love, care, and understanding as everybody else. In order for this abuse to be prevented, family members should call and visit as often as they can, and that way, they make their family or friends who are living in the nursing homes feel loved and cared.                                                                              

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4. June 2009 by student.

Businesses are closing, unemployed are rising, poverty are hiking, crime rates are higher, and divorce rates are higher. These are just some of the effects of recession. How people deal with these? As American families try to stretch their food budgets during the recession, some are turning to the backyard rather than the grocery store, as the place to look for produce. 54% said they will garden because it save them money on food bills. The National Statistics and Geography Institute found that immigrants from mexico alone, dropped 13% in the first quarter of 2009 due to an ongoing US economic recession. Due to the severity of the unemployed, there is an increase of people who lose their housing and move or become homeless that results more people seek help from government programs  such as; housing, food stamps, medicare/medicaid. Children in the US are at risk of recession obesity. Parents buying cheaper unhealthy food in subtitute for healthy mealsto try to beat the economic slump, said Kenneth Land, Project Director of the Child Well Being Index. A year ago in the journal of the American Medical Association found that nearly 32% of US children were overweight and 16% were obese. Obese children are at a higher risk of developing heart diseases, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. They are likely to become obese adults. Most people cut down on their travel habits to save money on gas, and tickets. They also cut their eating routines in a restaurant. These difficulties made more people depressed that sometimes lead them to commit suicide, and according to CNN news, divorce rates are higher due to their financial status.

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