Nadia Kiderman has been vocal about the need for there to be reform in the elder care industry. Of course, this is not limited to the elder care industry. The entire healthcare sector has been bogged down for years by archaic and antiquated methods. These are issues that have recently risen to the fore due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Of course, the issues well predate this pandemic; and it’s unfortunate that it took a pandemic of this size, scope and magnitude for these issues to get the sort of attention they have justifiably attained.
There has been reporting on the way Israel has managed this Coronavirus pandemic – particularly for its elderly population. The Jerusalem Post has reported on the ways the healthcare industry in Israel has sought to mitigate the damage done to the elderly population. Of course, the elderly are our most vulnerable population; and deserve not only our respect, but also our compassion. It’s time for us to wake up to the reality that this is an issue that deserves our attention, care and devotion.
The need for reform in this industry has well predated this pandemic. There have been a myriad of issues that have created problems for proponents and advocates of the elder community. Whether it’s nursing homes, assisted living facilities or other forms of elder care, it is a community and industry that receives little to no attention. And little to no oversight and regulation on the part of lawmakers and our regulatory authorities.
In some cases this is pure neglect. In others, it is a true dereliction of duty. Our policymakers are there to ensure that our entire society is protected. The basic healthcare needs of our population’s most vulnerable – our elderly, deserve the attention, care and compassion of our nation’s most elderly. It is sheer neglect that they have not been taken care of, up until and through this point.
In many cases, the lack of oversight is due to broader problems in Albany and even on national political levels. Lobbyists have for years padded their pockets with contributions for candidates from titans and barons of the healthcare industry. Of course, we’re no strangers to the realities of the corruption in our politics. But it’s important for there to be a light shone on this corruption when it is taking place at the expense of our nation’s most elderly and vulnerable population.
This demographic deserves to be protected. It didn’t have to be that the pandemic of the Coronavirus’ size and devastation served as the opportune moment and wakeup call in order to ignite a proper debate about these issues in the public square. But the reality is such that it has. The media attention that the deaths and fatalities in facilities have received, is extraordinary. This sort of media coverage will lead to changes only if we keep our lawmakers’ feet to the fire. Let’s make that commitment. For the sake of our elderly population, we should all seek to do so. They deserve it . They’ve been there for us. Now it’s our turn to be there for them.