According to the 2010 census, Florida is sporting a senior population of over 3 million that is showing no signs of slowing down. Naturally with this growth, which will soon include some fresh faces from the baby boomer population, meeting all of the needs that our current system presently supports will severely stretch and test our own wallets (as well as Medicaid’s) capability to provide much needed quality senior services.
We’ve noted before, along with other major Florida news publications of the growing lax of oversight regarding certain types of senior care institutions. Along with these tragic instances of neglect, there appears to be no real recourse or action that steps forward to regulate these cases.
As noted in Carol Marbin Miller’s story in the Miami Herald, La Casa Grande Assisted Living Facility has merely been fined by AHCA a paltry $11,000 since 2007. Apparently our current system is suffering a major downfall. Whether this lies within an organization like AHCA, which has the ability to suspend Medicaid insurance payments to such facilities, or within our public’s inability to voice it’s outrage towards the financial support of such a failure.
This is something that should draw great concern. While everyone may not be able to afford private care at home or a facility, simple neglect of the senior support system as a whole throughout Florida is unacceptable. One could always sign a petition with the White House, but who knows if all of the activism in the world could influence an immediate change. Occupy Assisted Living Facilities anyone?
Hopefully continued awareness is brought about regarding gross negligence towards the elderly. While it is nice for certain non-profit groups to help with senior’s dreams, real efforts need to be made toward protecting and supporting our senior population. If you or anyone that you know of is actively engaged in an organization throughout South Florida that supports the Senior population, we would love to hear your story and help spread awareness.
