What Are Assisted Living Facilities?

Assisted living facilities are, in fact, homes that look after people who find it difficult to look after themselves, and who do not have someone to look after them. These are not to be confused with places like nursing homes, where treatment can be given on a continuous basis and are different because they do not have trained personnel. There are more than 36,000 such homes functioning in the United States alone.

No Regulation Covers These Homes
Though there are a number of such homes the state has not formulated any regulation, and these homes are now, in fact, functioning like nursing homes. They are taking in people who are suffering from health related wants; they also take in people who are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The federal authorities have yet to formulate rules to contain these homes.

How Much Harm Is Being Done?
Since there is no regulation, these new assisted living homes are taking patients who are in need of constant care, but they do not have the facilities to give such care. They take in persons who have a tendency to wander, but they do not have the infra structural set up to stop them from wandering. Some of these people just wander out, and if it is winter, they are likely to die from hypothermia. On the other hand, they might wander into the path of a train or bus and get run over.

Many people have been known to have had fallen, resulting in their bones breaking. They are now taking in patients who are very sick. However, they do not have the facility to give tube feeding or even catheterizing. They do not have expert nursing so the patients are, in fact, not given any treatment and are just left to suffer.

How Can This Be Stopped?
Proper regulation by the state is a must if this is to be stopped. These cases have to be reported. The state should start an investigation into the running of these assisted living facilities. The federal authorities should formulate rules and regulations and see to it that they are carried out.

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