Not too long ago, the Governor of Iowa signed a new law into effect that created stricter minimum penalties when it comes to elder abuse. It gives prosecutors more power when it comes to going after those that are suspected of elder abuse. When someone is tried and convicted of abuse, the court system there is now able to impose harsher punishments, effectively deterring those that may have otherwise chosen the route of taking advantage of an older family member, friend, or acquaintance.
Iowa is not the first state to take measures like this. In fact, all over the country, lawmakers and politicians are looking at abuse laws and guidelines and are taking measures to help protect this potentially vulnerable segment of our population. In some states, child abuse is handled by protective services first, and the legal system second. However, getting police involved early can often ensure that abuse is ended more quickly.
The law in Iowa now forces prosecutors to look at elder abuse cases as criminal cases. Really, this is something that should have happened a long time ago. Abuse of any form is always bad. While preventing abuse from occurring in the first place is far preferable to dealing with it after the fact, if someone is arrested and convicted of abusing another individual, there should be an appropriate punishment in place. The fact that states like Iowa are beginning to recognize just how major of an issue elder abuse is is encouraging. It shows that how we treat our older loved ones is gaining more of a presence in the public eye. It means that governments and individuals are taking the threat to our families more seriously than ever before. Harsher punishments will likely lead to more awareness of this crime and help to deter instances of it from happening down the road.
One of the additional benefits of this new law is that it allows senior care homes and services to take better steps to protect those that they serve. If abuse is suspected it can be investigated more easily.
If abuse happens within the care system, perpetrators will see more action within the legal system than they previously may have seen. Unfortunately, this does sometimes happen. It’s the reason why we take every precaution that we can to ensure that only the very best professionals are working with us. We have background checks performed on each potential employee before a hiring decision is made. We provide ongoing training and refreshers on best practices so that caregivers know the law and how to follow it. And we insure and bond each caregiver to protect the families that we work with and our staff. These are just some of the things that we do to make sure that you get the best.
We’d love to talk more with you about how we protect those we love here at Paradise In-Home Care. Just like you, we want to ensure that your older family members receive high quality care and stay safe at the same time.
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