California State Long-term Ombudsman, Joseph Rodrigues, is Interviewed on Elder Abuse Reports During COVID-19

June 08, 2020

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, visitors are not allowed inside nursing homes. Advocates fear this means there is abuse that is going unreported. Joe Rodrigues, SLTCO in California, where abuse cases have dropped significantly, believes the decline in reports could be due to advocates and family members being unable to enter and see what is happening to residents. Rodrigues knows that staff in facilities are overworked, and understaffing can lead to poor care, including unsuccessful infection prevention. Rodrigues also believes the smaller number of cases could be due to less interaction between residents.

Read the full article.