Elderly abused, Social Security money taken

[Brian4Liberty]

"Grandma can't remember your name? Grandpa starting to smell bad? There's a new and innovative solution, based upon a partnership of public assistence and private entrepreneurship. Never worry again, all at little or no cost to you. Obamacare certified!"

http://www.examiner.com/article/five-arrested-for-running-unlicensed-rest-home-san-jose


A San Jose family that ran an unlicensed nursing home now faces felony charges for severely neglecting a dozen mentally disabled adults who authorities say were malnourished, beaten, bathed once a month, and forbidden to use toilet paper.

According to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, police entered the Cortona Drive residence to find rotten food, no running water, and dozens of dogs whose feces littered the floors.

[Brian4Liberty]

Free money for everyone!


Five people have been arrested after authorities say they grossly neglected a dozen mentally disabled adults, collecting their Social Security checks while forcing them to live in a ramshackle San Jose house bereft of running water and littered with feces from the dozens of malnourished dogs also being kept there.
...
The victims were entrusted to the family with the understanding that they would be their caregivers. Instead, authorities say, the residents were malnourished, beaten, and forbidden from using toilet paper.

Prosecutors said the victims, suffering from schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses, were kept in their room for most of the day. Their only respite came once a month, when they were bathed and their clothes washed for doctor visits. All while the defendants cashed in the residents' disability benefits, Huang said.

Huang said the victims, who do not speak English, are all immigrants new to the country, "living on the periphery of the community."

http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_21014478/san-jose-5-charged-forcing-mentally-disabled-adults

[dannno]

I have no problem with the unlicensed part, but the rest is pretty bad. Though maybe that was all they could afford and it was a better option than living on the street.

Maybe if nursing homes didn't require license there would be more inexpensive alternatives where this type of abuse doesn't occur.

[Kylie]

That is sick. Those people need to be punished...severely.


And they will use this as a precedent that we will never be able to have a non-licensed facility.

[Working Poor]

And they will use this as a precedent that we will never be able to have a non-licensed facility.

But of course the government has to save us all.

[Brian4Liberty]

You have to wonder how these people immigrated in the first place. Did they have family? You hear stories about different sub-cultures who know all the ropes on how to sign people up for government benefits, day one. Have heard of both Egyptions and Iranians who have parents visit on vacation, sign them up for benefits while they are here, and then collect benefits (after the parents go home).

[Brian4Liberty]

I have no problem with the unlicensed part, but the rest is pretty bad. Though maybe that was all they could afford and it was a better option than living on the street.

Maybe if nursing homes didn't require license there would be more inexpensive alternatives where this type of abuse doesn't occur.


That is sick. Those people need to be punished...severely.


And they will use this as a precedent that we will never be able to have a non-licensed facility.


The licensing part isn't a big concern. It's the abuse of the people and the ripoff of the taxpayers. Plus if these people were actually staying with family, then licensing wouldn't be required.

[Kylie]

The licensing part isn't a big concern. It's the abuse of the people and the ripoff of the taxpayers. Plus if these people were actually staying with family, then licensing wouldn't be required.

WE know that. But try to tell that to the bone-headed bureaucrats in any office of government.

It's not like they're rocket scientists. They see problem/solution in a totally different way than we do.

[Brian4Liberty]

WE know that. But try to tell that to the bone-headed bureaucrats in any office of government.

It's not like they're rocket scientists. They see problem/solution in a totally different way than we do.

Yep, unfortunately that's how it is. Counter-productive bureaucracy at work. A minimum requirement permit for a house that cares for more than say, 4 people, might be tolerable. But limited and restrictive permits to create a corporatist oligopoly is counter-productive to the goal of taking care of people. It drives up costs, and doesn't do a thing to improve care.

Once again, this can be handled via criminal law, not regulation. In other words, make it illegal to imprison and abuse people like that. Enforcement of the law occurs after there are complaints. Regulation and permits don't do anything except make matters worse.

Bottom line on this story is that it is was a scam, a fraud, a rip-off of taxpayer money. It just so happens that to achieve this rip-off, they also imprisoned and abused people. The only thing they could have done worse is kill them and bury them in the backyard and continue to collect the welfare payments.