LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Jim Runestad on Monday hosted a community town hall at the Novi Public Library on preventing elder abuse.
“I was very encouraged by the great turnout today and the thoughtful input from so many residents who share my concern to find ways to cut down on elder abuse,” said Runestad, R-White Lake. “It is unconscionable that any of our elder loved ones are taken advantage of or abused; we must continue to take steps to put an end to it.”
Earlier this year, Runestad introduced Senate Bill 77, which would allow a resident of a nursing home facility or their representative to monitor their own private room using an electronic monitoring device under certain conditions.
“It was heart-wrenching to listen to testimonials about the mistreatment of loved ones in nursing homes,” Runestad said. “But there is something we can do to prevent this. By allowing residents to install cameras in their own rooms, offenders and abusers will be on notice that they can no longer get away with their cruel behavior toward some of our most vulnerable residents.”
Runestad made informational resources and booklets available at the town hall at no cost to attendees, and local elder care resource providers helped answer residents’ questions.
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