Every day, we come across Iowa stories depicting instances of elder neglect or abuse: cases where gangrene leads to amputations, narratives of individuals choking on their saliva, and accounts of people left freezing outside in the cold of winter. A federal report shows Iowa as 49th AMONG THE STATES with a ratio of nursing home inspectors to care facilities. The new year should start with Iowa public officials taking necessary, strong action on elder care.
Iowans value and respect older Iowans. Our Governor needs to invest in recruitment and retention of quality staff and dramatically improve oversight. The Governor and the legislature have the means to address elder care, by immediately creating a non-partisan task force and setting aside surplus dollars for elder care. Ask them to do this before any tax cut debate.
Senate Democrats asked Senator Sinclar, Republican chair of the oversight committee to hold hearings on the crisis of care in our nursing homes. The press release response stated these hearings were “unnecessary”. Not surprising, as the Iowa Capital Dispatch documented “the flow of money from state-regulated care facilities, through a political action committee and into the campaign coffers of state lawmakers who have advanced bills to protect nursing homes while scuttling legislation intended to help elderly Iowans.”
It is time to remind your/OUR elected officials that Iowans believe quality care of our seniors is necessary and carries more importance than any amount of PAC contributions.
Mary Weaver, Rippey is part of PRO Iowa 24 – a group of concerned rural Iowans with progressive values from Greene, Guthrie, Boone, Story and Dallas counties
