The Unethical Abuse of Today's Elderly
Assignment #1 Position Paper
THE UNETHICAL ABUSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS ON THE ELDERLY
By
Mike Poitras
Waking up in the middle of the night frightened and shaken up is a terrible time that each one of us can remember feeling. Then having someone close to us who we trusted come in, pick us up, and hold us tight produced a sense of security. We were able to take that security, and build a dignified and confident person that grew wiser with age. It seems though that in some instances, as we grow older and wiser, some do not get the respect and dignity that is owed to them. The security that helped build their lives has been stripped from them. Seniors end up losing the human right of having dignity and security that they have come to enjoy and live with. Our human rights do not answer to the needs of today 's elderly, either through discriminatory acts, or acts of abuse. We should all be treated with the same free discriminatory human rights as well as the opportunity to equality, as stated in the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA). It declares that
[a]ll individuals should have an opportunity equal with other individuals to make for themselves the lives that they are able and wish to have and to have their needs accommodated, consistent with their duties and obligations as members of society, without being hindered in or prevented from doing so by discriminatory practices based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, disability or conviction for an offence for which a pardon has been granted. To live in such a perfect world where everybody can have their needs addressed would be as though you were living a dream. But in the cruel reality, many people get discriminated against on an everyday basis; especially seniors. Many seniors today find themselves being taken advantaged of in a number of manifest and latent ways. The simple need of being treated with the same
THE UNETHICAL ABUSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS ON THE ELDERLY
By
Mike Poitras
Waking up in the middle of the night frightened and shaken up is a terrible time that each one of us can remember feeling. Then having someone close to us who we trusted come in, pick us up, and hold us tight produced a sense of security. We were able to take that security, and build a dignified and confident person that grew wiser with age. It seems though that in some instances, as we grow older and wiser, some do not get the respect and dignity that is owed to them. The security that helped build their lives has been stripped from them. Seniors end up losing the human right of having dignity and security that they have come to enjoy and live with. Our human rights do not answer to the needs of today 's elderly, either through discriminatory acts, or acts of abuse. We should all be treated with the same free discriminatory human rights as well as the opportunity to equality, as stated in the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA). It declares that
[a]ll individuals should have an opportunity equal with other individuals to make for themselves the lives that they are able and wish to have and to have their needs accommodated, consistent with their duties and obligations as members of society, without being hindered in or prevented from doing so by discriminatory practices based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, disability or conviction for an offence for which a pardon has been granted. To live in such a perfect world where everybody can have their needs addressed would be as though you were living a dream. But in the cruel reality, many people get discriminated against on an everyday basis; especially seniors. Many seniors today find themselves being taken advantaged of in a number of manifest and latent ways. The simple need of being treated with the same
Bibliography: 1. Aitken, Brian, W. W. Ethical Issues for the Elderly: Study Guide. Huntington University, 1998. 4. Shell, Donna, J. Protection of the Elderly: A Study of Elder Abuse. Winnipeg: Manitoba Council on Aging, 1982. 5. Supreme Court of Canada: McKinney v. University of Guelph (1990) 6