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41 Santa Clara L. Rev. 867 (2000-2001)
The Nursing Home Dilemma in America Today: The Suffering Must be Recognized and Eradicated

handle is hein.journals/saclr41 and id is 889 raw text is: THE NURSING HOME DILEMMA IN AMERICA
TODAY: THE SUFFERING MUST BE
RECOGNIZED AND ERADICATED
Christine V. Williams*
I. INTRODUCTION
Headlines and lawsuits about nursing home neglect and
abuse frequently grab the nation's attention.! Oftentimes,
pictures and stories reported by the media shock and horrify
America.2
Sadly, however, most injuries of neglect and abuse do not
make headlines. Most victims suffer in silence, their injuries
consisting most often of bedsores, too many and ill-applied
restraints, and sitting in their own waste for extended periods
of time.' Frequently, long-term care facilities pose dangers to
the residents resulting from understaffing and overworking
their personnel.4 This situation creates working conditions
that leave staff feeling unappreciated and vulnerable to
injuries.'
As the population ages and national expenditures on
nursing home care continue to rise,7 the public must turn its
attention to nursing homes and their problems before the
facilities become inundated with clients they are already ill
* Ethics Editor, Santa Clara Law Review, Volume 41. J.D. candidate,
Santa Clara University School of Law; B.A., University of Alaska, Anchorage.
1. See generally infra Part II.A.
2. See generally infra Part II.A.
3. See generally infra Part II.A.
4. See generally infra Part V.
5. See generally infra Part V.
6. See Administration on Aging, Life Expectancy Trends (visited Nov. 6,
1999) <http://www.aoa.dhhs.gov/aoa/stats/agetrend/threel.html> [hereinafter
Life Expectancy].
7. See Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Highlights Health and
Aging (last modified Sept. 27, 1999) <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/Pubs/
pubd/hus/heaging.htm>.

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