Karla Aguirre

February 18, 2015

Professor Lechuga
RWS 1302

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Abstract

My two genres I picked were about elder abuse, the video gives more
information than the article that just informs people about a law that can help
elders. My topic talks about elder abuse, an important issue thats been
happening in the United States. There have been debates of how to deal with
this issue but there hasnt been a determination to whats going to happen
exactly. Elders suffering is due to people abusing them physically, financially,
emotionally and much more, not only do strangers abuse elders but also their
own family that want to take advantage of them or just see them as a burden.
This two genres help the audience understand elder abuse much better and not
only its informing the audience its also teaching them. More important it teaches
the audience to know what action they can take if they ever get to witness an
abuse.

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Elder abuse is a serious matter in the United States. Families leave elders
in nursing homes thinking they are going to get the care they need. In reality
some make the mistake in leaving them there. Elders are being abused by
caregivers or any other staff working there. The saddening part is that it doesnt
only happen in nursing homes it also happens in their own home or with family
members. The video, Elder Abuse learn the signs and break the silence talks
about the signs of elder abuse and how people can speak up and report it. The
article, GMA: Surveillance Cameras in Nursing Homes? talks about a way to
decrease elder abuse in nursing homes. Both genres focus on a way in helping
elders being abused and making a change in their life.
The video, Elder Abuse learn the signs and break the silence shows
different types of scenarios of elders being abused. In the scenarios as the elders
are being abused there is always someone there and shows how they start
getting concern for the actions that family members are taking. For example one
older lady didnt want to deal with the ATM and gave her daughter the card and
her pin number, the elder wasnt paying attention and the daughter takes out all
her mothers money and puts it in her pocket she then tells her mother that there
wasnt any money in her account, one lady that was there noticed and call to
report the abuse. That scenario was an example of financial abuse.

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The video shows different types of abuse such as, financial, emotional,
physical, neglect and medication. This video wants to teach audience that they
should break the silence and report abuse. Alberta Elder Abuse Awareness
Network created this video to raise awareness of elder abuse and let those
affected know there is help available and hope that this can reduce abuse
toward elders. Watching this video makes people realize this is a serious matter
just by seeing whats happening to elders and how they are being treated brings
emotion to it wanting to help out and keep an eye open.
The article, GMA: Surveillance Cameras in Nursing Homes? talks about
the abuses that is happening in nursing homes and what they can do to stop
caregivers and staff abusing elders. The situation is very serious to the point that
the Maryland legislature holds hearing on the bill that would give nursing-home
residents the right to install video cameras in their rooms (ABCNEWS, ND) so it
can stop abuse. Susan Hecht is in favor of the bill due to her mother being
abused in the nursing home. Hecht told ABCNEWS my mom had kept talking
about being scared and not getting good care but she ended up catching the
person abusing her mother.
The Maryland bill would give nursing homes residents the right to install
surveillance cameras in their rooms and nursing homes will not refuse patients
rights. The bill will respect the privacy of third parties too, for example if a room
is shared, the other residents must grant permission also have signs that say
video monitoring and lastly let family know the cost of installing cameras. This
sounds like a good idea but there are some matters revolving trust. Nursing

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homes believe that Grannycam will cause some trust issues and would
discourage caregivers or people seeking jobs in nursing homes. Also Dr.
Charles Roadman, president of American Health Care Association adds that
cameras endanger trust between caregivers and patients but Grannycam
advocates say that it doesnt really matter if there is cameras because if
personnel do nothing wrong they will have nothing to fear. This will always be a
debate between nursing homes and Grannycam.
Both genres speak against the abuse of elders and how its a serious
matter in the United States. They both have their own idea but at the end they
both are talking about a way to protect elders. The video impacts by making
people realize the effects of the abuse of elders. Due to this it makes the
audience sympathetic to it. The article also wants that so it talks about the
Maryland bill in which it will allow security cameras in nursing homes. In
conclusion the video and the article want to do the same thing and make a
difference in the life of elderly. They both have their own solution except that the
article is more of a debate to either passing the Maryland bill or just find another
solution to it.

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Reference

Elder Abuse - learn the signs and break the silence [Motion picture]. (2013).
Elder abuse awareness. (2013, June 13). Retrieved February 10, 2015, from
http://www.seniors.alberta.ca/seniors/elder-abuse.html
"GMA: Surveillance Cameras in Nursing Homes?" ABC News. ABC News
Network. Web. 10 Feb. 2015.
<http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=127269&page=1&singlePage=true