Healthcare organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Healthcare organization - Essay Example direction that exists between governance and management as well as seeking to integrate an appreciation with the reader for why both of these are required within the healthcare organization. Firstly, with respect to governance, the reader can and should understand this as â€Å"the strategic task of setting the organization’s goals, direction, limitations, and accountability frameworks† (Prencipe & Bar-Yosef 199). In this way, the reader/researcher can readily integrate with the understanding that such a function of leadership is necessary in order to constrain and elaborate upon the rules of the game with which all of the other shareholders must integrate. Rather than providing an active form of participatory leadership, the role of governance is more intended to lay the underlying framework for how shareholders should integrate with one another, with the patient, and with the provision of healthcare within the system. It is also worth noting that just because governance can be defined in such a way does not make it anything similar to an infallible process; rather, it is just as fallible as management might be. Conversely, management can of course be defined as â€Å"the allocation of resources and overseeing the day to day activities and operations of the organization† (Prencipe & Bar-Yosef 199). In such a way, the reader can understand that although less of a macro approach than governance, management is the means by which governance and the issues that it portends for the shareholders must be engaged. Moreover, the reader and/or researcher can understand the management as opposed to governance is the path by which the â€Å"what† and â€Å"how† of the governance directives are able to ultimately be integrated with the prospective shareholders in the process. As one can expect from the fact that the governance structure was one that presented the macro view, the management process is one that offers a much more integrated and personal approach to

Technology in Hotels Essay Example for Free

Technology in Hotels Essay With the rapid pace of technological advancements and the fast rate of implementing it into everyday life, people need the latest IT facilities. They demand this from hotels as well. But the industry has always been lagging behind the needs, not being able to offer the latest advances in technology. Now management has started to take note of the guest’s needs and is aware that technology is a very competitive advantage and is starting to adjust their strategies in consequence. Boutique hotels offering sci-fi levels of technology are starting to emerge and may be prefiguring the future of hospitality as a whole. I Introduction With technology advancing now faster than ever before, everyone needs and demands using the latest technological means just to survive. Such is the case in the hotel industry too, especially in the upper-class and boutiques hotels area of the market. With hotels always lagging behind other sectors in adopting new IT systems ( PLUGGED IN, 2009; Buick, 2003), keeping the pace with customers’ demands becomes a pressing issue to hospitality providers. This problem is acknowledged by the players in the industry, being debated in trade-specific publications, conferences and academic literature. There are two sides of the use of technology in hotels: â€Å"back of house† systems (property management systems, revenue management systems, internal control instruments etc.) and technology that is used directly and mainly by the consumers. The following review aims to put the current technological state, future trends and most pressing issues of the hotel and hospitality industry i nto perspective. II Literature review The newest trends in the hospitality industry show an emphasis on the experience delivered to the customer and not so much on the tangible aspect of the product. With the service sector beginning to dominate the world’s economies, there is a growing concern on delivering meaningful, memorable customer experiences (Meyer and Schwager, 2007). This can be seen from a practitioner’s point of view with The Ritz-Carlton Hotels Company, which prides its self with becoming an â€Å"experience and memory creator† (Nixon and Rieple, 2010). The next generation of clients demands continual technological updates for every business and personal user and hotels often can’t keep up the pace. Property owners are understandably reluctant to renovate as often as needed to support the latest technology, meaning major renovations never happen often enough to keep the tech-crazy guests satisfied (Russ, 2008). No longer are people going to hotels to experience something new, but hoteliers are looking at guests as technology consumers and supply little more than the average customer demands (Freed, 2010). The use of modern technology can help hotel employees deliver a service of better quality and also enhance the stay for guests by satisfying their needs, thus creating a better all-round experience. This view, however, is not unanimous across the whole of the industry. Even though 82.4% of managers believe that IT is important for increasing customer satisfaction (Brewer et al, 2008), they also worry that the benefits provided by investments in technology are not as high as expected (ITGI, 2007). Research shows that companies around the world are losing out on their investments because they can’t derive sufficient value from these investments in IT (Bowen, Cheung and Rhode, 2007; ITGI, 2007). Value from IT can be defined as a function whose primary focus is delivering the promised benefits (Mathe, 2009) and as a provider of strategic, informational and transactional benefits (Gregor et al, 2006). Therefore, all definitions show that value added by IT leads to successfully achieving business goals and strategies. So a contradiction appears between managers’ beliefs and actions. The majority is certain IT helps their organization but has failed to fully take its benefits yet. Customer satisfaction with the hotel begins shaping before the service is provided, with the process of making the reservation preceding it. The new trends using of mobile platforms such as smart phones, tablets and laptops for shopping (Gupta, 2012) dictate that these means of communication should be targeted by hoteliers. The number of mobile users researching travel options on their mobile devices is expected to grow by 51% in 2012 and another 15% by 2013 (Saio, 2012). A market study by Reuters Synovate Global (plugged in) shows that 47% of potential clients demand the latest technology from the hotels they choose. Also, one third of guests assess a hotel by its website and 50% do research and comparisons online, before making their choice. The same report found that seven out of ten consumers would rather stay in a less expensive hotel and that hi-tech facilities are the top criteria in choosing a hotel. The latest study conducted by Motorola Solution, Inc. (2011) concludes that information technology (IT) spending in the hospitality industry is expected to have increased in 2011, with guest experience being the primary driver for investments. And yet, 57% of the industry’s leaders admit they don’t know how to launch, track and achieve mobile platform success (Eyefortravel, 2012), proving the same contradicting views towards technology. This proves one of the critical challenges for hotel technology managers is convincing upper management to approve investing in the latest technology (Petiza, 2011). According to Gregor et, al. (2006) the failure to measure the value added by IT is due to measurement errors, management practices and time lags between the investment and ROI. The alignment of IT with business strategy and its use may allow competitive advantage to be achieved (Levy and Powell, 2005; Peppard and Ward, 2004). The same opinion is presented in a study conducted by Amadeus (2011), which states that if hotels are to secure growth in the next three years they must align strategy and IT priorities. Peppard and Ward (2004) suggest that IT has become pivotal to the existence of most organisations and that should the technology used by organisations come to a halt, they would cease to function. Now that the importance of using technology is recognized unanimously there are two schools of thought emerging: the first believes that IT should be present to aid the guests inconspicuously from the shadows and the other approach that puts technology in the forefront of the operations and makes it the core theme. Choosing one or the other dictates the whole strategy of the hotel or company. Some guests are not comfortable with technological changes in the lobby, in the room or when trying to make a booking (Withiam, 2007). Others, as shown above, need and demand hi-tech facilities from their hotels. After choosing the market you target, the strategy should be adjusted in consequence. A tool for creating market segments based on consumers’ opinion on technology is a so-called Techno logy Readiness Index (TRI) (Verma et al., 2007). This is a 10 question survey that guests should fill in (Appendix 1). This measures their view of technology on four dimensions: optimism, innovativeness, discomfort and insecurity. Tech-focused individuals are usually thought of in terms of their willingness to innovate, but the research behind TRI measures the extent to which people think IT helps improve their life (optimism), or if they feel overwhelmed by technology (discomfort) or whether they don’t trust devices to operate correctly (insecurity). The over-technologic approach can be best seen in boutique hotels. Taking the forefront in this arms race is somewhat easier with smaller, non-chain, exclusive hotels because they don’t have to maintain the same standards in thousands of rooms across hundreds of hotels around the world. An article by Myers (2011) showcases the latest boutique hotels that offer now desk-free check-in aided by tablet PCs, hybrid cars with Wi-Fi for the guest, 42 inch LCD TVs (The Upper House Hotel, Hong Kong), retina scans just to enter the room (Nine Zero Hotel, New York), touch-screen room controls and bedside iPads (Establishment Hotel, Sydney) or Wii exercise rooms where guest can play virtual tennis (Le Parker Meridian, New York). The latest trends in hotel technological development include converging technologies that complement each other to reach the common goal of customer satisfaction. The hotel room would automatically set itself up to the guest’s unique tastes, based on the pervious information provided through guest profile forms. When the front desk clerk checks-in the guest or the guest checks-in using the self service kiosk in the lobby, the lights in the room automatically turn on and the thermostat sets itself to the users preferred temperature. The entertainment system turns on, playing the guest’s favorite music, TV program or radio station. These services would please the guest but also reduce energy costs by keeping everything turned off when the guest is not using the room. The list of computer operated can include such luxurious services like automatically drawing a bath to be ready at a certain time or automatically open the drapes in the morning in order to wake the guest with natural light and not the old fashioned wakeup call. (Russ, 2008) In order to offer a variety of payment options, some hotel managers have adopted cashless payment systems via the use of radio frequency identification (RFID). RFID utilizes computer chips and antennas, allowing the chips to wirelessly communicate with a receiver. In the hotel industry RFID systems are being integrated with POS systems to process credit card and debit account transactions (Kasavana, 2005). Some hospitality companies even accept biometrics, such as fingerprints, iris scans, facial scans or hand geometry analysis systems to increase physical or data security. III Conclusion Customers are more demanding from hotels in terms of technology than ever. They need it for entertainment, business, communication and socialization. And with technology advancing in a rampant pace, people more aware of the latest gadgets and devices and techno-fear decreasing as new generations come along using technology from infancy, hotels are being pressed into making monumental investments more often just to cater to the technological needs of the guests. Added to these there are the other investments to be made in â€Å"old fashioned† hotel operation, property management systems etc. Studies show that even though customers demand it and managers recognize its importance the hotel industry is still lagging behind in offering the latest IT facilities. However, there are innovative boutique hotels that have reached an almost sci-fi level of technology. These hotels are shaking the position of the big hotel chains and are attracting more tech-crazy guests. On the other side there are hotels that focus more on the environment, nature with a more traditional approach. Both have their own well established market segments that usually don’t overlap because of being on different ends of the spectrum. Only the future can say of this arms race to demand and provide more and more technological means will prove effective. It is commonly known that too much of something can become harmful.

The Problems That Faced Arab Nationalism Politics Essay

The Problems That Faced Arab Nationalism Politics Essay Upon the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the presence of imperial powers shortly after, the Middle East had to contend with a radical change in both the dynamics and the concentration of power within the region. These circumstances would lead in turn to chronic conflict in the Middle East and consequent repeated attempts at unifying the Arab world. This essay will look at how and why attempts were made at uniting Arab states and why these attempts often failed at delivering any significant unification. First it is important to look closely at the position the Middle East found itself in, in the early 20th century. The Ottoman Empire had ruled the region for over four centuries and had done so through divisions of people in different autonomous communal groups. This was in stark contrast to the territorial borders imposed by the imperial powers. As Ayoob argues, boundaries imposed by imperial powers fragmented the region into the multitude of weak, competing and often artificial state units on the basis of great powers interests and not indigenous wishes. The position the Middle East therefore found itself in was one in which indigenous groups were divided by territorial borders imposed by imperial powers, with these borders often simply being drawn with a ruler on a map with little attention being paid to the dynamics of the peoples living in these areas. Next it is important to look at the challenges states faced in nation building and how this would HAVE/of contributed to the need of Arabism. As Hinnebusch explains, one of the great difficulties facing Arab nations was incongruence within the new founded states. Identification of the people within the territorial state was weak compared with loyalties to sub-state units, such as the city, the tribe, or religious sect. The imported idea of the nation state had little historic tradition on which to build. As a result of Arab states being in a weakened position due to their challenge of nation building the ARABIST/Arabism movement meant that states could be UNITED MORE STRONGLY/stronger united. Leaders of Arab states would call for unity within the region in order to counter pressures from western powers. Hinnebusch explains that within a group, identity facilitates cooperation and mobilizes agents for change and where identity converges with shared territory and economic interdependence, resulting in a nation state or regional community, legitimacy and stability is reached. This was the mentality of Arab leaders when calling for unity. Kienle (1995) argues that states turned to Pan Arabism when they feel vulnerable and insecure. The use of identity is merely an instrument used in order to call for support in times of potential danger. Benedict Anderson argues that certain processes tie groups together into an imagined community. For example the development of local and regional economies engage different groups creating a link between them. The one-state-one-nation Western ideal contrasted with the Arab notion of one-nation-many-states. This follows the basic principle of Arab Nationalism or Arabism, which calls for the unification of all Arab people. The Arab world is unique in that the region shares, to a large extent, a common language, culture, history and religion. These are all important factors in determining nationalism of a state. Therefore the region looked set in establishing an Arab nationalism movement as it held all the ingredients to do so. However the issue was that the region had been divided into states, some of which WERE deemed artificial, and so as these new founded states attempted to consolidate power within their own territory and gain some form of identity, Arabism would face several constraints. From the outset there had been no agreement on how Arabism would be combine with more local loyalties (such as within the state). As states started to gain independence nationalistic movements started to take place in order to unify the peoples within territorial borders. For example Iraq, WHICH/who became the first Arab state to achieve its official independence in 1932, went through a process that attempted to create a sense of Iraqi Patriotism. King Faisal conducted a competition between poets and musicians to provide words and music for the first Iraqi national anthem. Therefore one of the issues that first arose in causing a difficulty in the establishment of Arabism was the need of consolidating power within new FOUND/founded territorial borders and the call to local loyalties that would put a wider call to Arabism on hold. Another issue that faced Arabism was the competition between the stronger Arab states in taking lead throughout the region. As state building became more and more important, leaders were often concerned about losing power to other Arab states. An example of this was King Faisal attempts at holding an Arab congress in Baghdad, in order to use Arab support to help reduce Iraqi weakness and overcome the dangers threatening the integrity of Iraqi society. However Humphreys, the British High Commissioner, NO WHO NEEDED/who argued it could provoke hostility from Iraqi neighbours and bring about the very dangers that the king feared, rejected the proposal. It would have built up hostility from leading Arab states like Saudi Arabia who resisted any moves made by states that could put them into a leading position within the region. The outcome of the six-day war is often used to signal the end of the Arabism movement. The war led to the astounding Israeli victory over a united Arab force (primarily Egypt, Syria and Jordan) and the inability of ARAB/Arabic countries to generate economic growth. One of the major reasons to why this would be the downfall of the ARABIST/Arabism movement was the extent to which Egypt suffered major losses in the war. Egypts losses meant that they would no longer at the front food of Arab politics. From 1967 and throughout the 1970s we see the country move further and further away from the pursuit of Arabism. The Camp David Accords, promoting peace between Israel and Egypt and the expulsion of Egypt from the Arab league in 1979 highlight the end of Egypts quest in uniting Arabic nations. The lack of efficiency of Pan-Arab institutions was another factor in the failure of the movement. In an anarchic system whereby states have no one to report to, there was no way in ensuring that Arabic states would adhere to Pan-Arab friendly practices. One OF the first institutions to be set up in order to promote Arabism was the United Arab Republic (UAR), established in 1958, which included Syria and Egypt. However the institution only lasted until 1961 as Syria pull out of the initiative due to Nassers want to dominate both countries. In 1963 the new UAR was set up, this time including Iraq as well AS Egypt and Syria, and including an entirely federal system where by each state was able to keep its identity. The institution lasted longer than its predecessor had, but again was abolished in 1971 due to the differences between Syria and Egypt. Gamal Abdell Nasser, the Egyptian President, had been a key figure in the push for unity among Arab states. Soon after his assumption of power in 1956, becoming the second president of Egypt, Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal, and at the same time denounced Western influence in the Arab world. This created a strong feeling of support throughout the Arab world for Nasser, and the way in which he dealt with the repercussions of the British and French powers consolidated his position as the face of Arabism. From this point on Nasser would attempt to unify Arabs throughout the region although often he was seen as overbearing, one example NO BEING NEEDED/being mentioned above whereby the early break up of the UAR was caused through his domination of Syrias government and consequently Syrias decision to leave the institution. The death of Egypts second president on the 28th of September 1970 is often seen as the final nail in the coffin for Arabism, after the devastating results of the 1967 war. It meant that there was no leader to which Arabs could aspire and turn to in the name of Arabism and as a result meant there was nothing holding the fort in preventing the movement NO INTO NEEDED/into dissolving into something of the past. There is conclusive evidence that Nassers death was in fact the end of Arabism. By the mid-1970s the idea of Arab unity became less and less apparent in Arab politics (The Continuum Political Encyclopaedia of the Middle east). Nassers death also clinched the end of Egypt as the leading state of Arabism. Anwar Al Sadat, Nassers successor, revived an Egyptian orientation, unequivocally asserting that only Egypt and Egyptians were his responsibility. Ultimately the death of Nasser led to the Arab world losing its leader in the quest of uniting its peoples.

Planning, Conducting and Evaluating Educational Research Essay

The planning that occurs behind educational research is an intricate process thus in addition to establishing a research problem and purpose and reviewing literature, inquirers must determine the best experimental design that fits their needs. Even though experiments may share characteristics, â€Å"their use and application vary depending on the type of design used† (Creswell, 2008, p. 310). Therefore understanding the types of experimental designs commonly used to inquiry about educational thematic is useful to identify the design whose approach will contribute the success of the research. The two major umbrellas of experimental design include between-group and within-group designs, which are further broken down into three subcategories of experimental design according to their characteristics. On the one hand, the between-group design offers an approach in which the inquirer is able to compare two or more clusters of subjects exposed to various degrees of interventi ons (Creswell, 2008). The between-group design is widely used in various fields given its ability to provide information that compares the interventions to a control group just as majority of the scientific experiments conducted in a science laboratory. In contrast, the within-group design offers an approach geared towards observations of the participants as they themselves become the control of the experiment (Creswell, 2008). Given the distinction among the between-group and within-group designs, it is critical to compare and contrast the six types of experimental design that fall under each of these categories. The differences in characteristics of design further subcategorize the between-group design into three experimental designs that include true exper... ...n experimental design with the proper adjustments to reduce the threats caused by participants, treatments, and procedures (Creswell, 2008). With a significant decrease of threats, a researcher may therefore strongly support the relationship between the variables without much ambiguity. Internal validity is important in any experiment and given that various factors threaten it in all forms of experimental designs, addressing the threats should be a priority during the design of research. If we are going to make a difference in the field of education, as researchers we need internally valid research to support future research and drive educational reform in an attempt to better the education of our children. Bibliography Creswell, J.W.(2008). Educational Research: Planning Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research. Pearson 3rd Ed.

Farenheit 451 Essay

There is a novel published in the 1950s with a title of Fahrenheit 451. The book was published by Ray Bradbury and involves a futuristic plot where most of the things in the society are in chaotic state. This novel was a success in the contemporary times of the 50Ð ²Ãâ€šÃ¢â€ž ¢s and now, you could write a Fahrenheit 451 essay as a school paper requirement. Before you begin writing such an essay, it is important that you first read the novel. This is the case for all types of essays that need to tackle a certain material. Much like writing a Macbeth essay or a Romeo and Juliet essay, a Fahrenheit 451 essay is written only after the writer has completed reading the book. So what are the possible types of essays that we can write for Fahrenheit 451 essay? One can talk about a novel by using different approaches in writing an essay. One good example is a narrative essay. You can re-tell the story in the novel and summarize the whole thing for your readers to have an idea about it. A narrative essay is not all about fictional story from the writer. It may also involve any types of stories that may even come from an actual source. Be careful when you summarize the story in Fahrenheit 451 because you only need to compress the details of the book into your paper. You can write an argumentative essay that will talk about a specific notion or idea in Fahrenheit 451. For example, you may argue that the book projects an idea of chaos and disturbing scenarios to the readers. These factors may contribute to the feeling of doubt among the readers that could make them uncomfortable in a psychological perspective. Of course, there is another side of an argument where the story could be a well-done preparation for the readers on what they should expect of the future. A Fahrenheit 451 essay can also be in the form of a character analysis essay. You can talk about the major persona in the novel and discuss how each one contributed to the success of the story. You may also write about the central character and analyze who that character is in our present society. Start with the central character by the name of Guy Montag who happens to be a firefighter. Analyze his character and discuss his main role in the plot of the novel. One more essay type for a Fahrenheit 451 essay can be in the form of a critical analysis essay. Write about the story in a way that you tend to dig much deeper into the realms of the authorÐ ²Ãâ€šÃ¢â€ž ¢s imagination. Discover new things about the central message of the whole story and what lessons we can learn from it.

Elder Abuse Essay Example

Elder Abuse Essay Example Elder Abuse Essay Elder Abuse Essay Elder abuse is something that happens in every day society. In this paper you will find the history of elder abuse, the different types of abuse, case studies, statistical reports, and what can be done to improve the problem. Some may wonder why elder abuse even exists in a world that is supposed to love others. As people grow up they are taught to be kind and courteous to others, and to love one another. When elder abuse was first discovered in 1975 it was called the â€Å"granny battering† (Fulmer, 2005). Elder abuse was first researched in the 1980’s. According to Jeffels (2010), â€Å"granny battering† was named by A. A. Baker. This was when elder abuse was first recognized as a social problem. Some states in America began to deal with the problem. It took until 1989 for anything major to be done. This was when an old meeting report was published and was fully acknowledged in the United Kingdom. According to Parker Waichman Alonso (2007) a study was conducted at Cornell University in 2007. This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and was only the second published report to look at patient to patient violence. It can be seen that it took some time for programs to fund research for elder abuse. â€Å"On March 23, the president of the United States signed into law landmark health care reform legislation (Thurston amp; Modugno, 2010),† which parts of this legislation are the following two acts. The elder abuse justice act, and the patient’s safety and abuse prevention act. The patient safety and prevention act makes it where criminal background checks will be conducted for each person looking for employment in nursing homes or other long term care facilities. According to Govtrack (2009), the elder abuse justice act is a bill to amend the Social Security Act to enhance the social security of the Nation by ensuring adequate public-private infrastructure and to resolve to prevent, detect, treat, intervene in, and prosecute elder abuse, neglect, exploitation, and for other purposes. The Elder Justice Act was first introduced on April 2, 2009 and has not yet been reported by the committee (Govtrack, 2009). This act alone should make a great impact to help elder abuse decrease. According to Govtrack (2007), the website states that the patient safety and abuse prevention act is a bill to amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to require screening, including national criminal history background checks, of direct patient access employees of skilled nursing facilities, nursing facilities, and other long-term care facilities and providers, and to provide for nationwide expansion of the pilot program for national and State background checks on direct patient access employees of long-term care facilities or providers. This bill was first introduced on June 7, 2007, and was reported to the community on September 10, 2008. It was never signed by the president and did not become a law (govtrack, 2007). Elder abuse does not just happen in one form, but in many forms. According to the U. S. Administration on Aging (AOA) (n. d. ), the different types of elder abuse are physical, emotional, sexual, neglect, abandonment, financial, and self neglect. The AOA clearly defines physical abuse as the use of physical force that may result in bodily injury, physical pain, or impairment. Physical abuse may include acts of violence such as hitting, beating, pushing, shoving, slapping, kicking, pinching, and burning. Inappropriate use of drugs and physical restraints, force feeding, and physical punishment of any kind also are types of physical abuse. Emotional abuse is the infliction of torture, pain, or distress through verbal or nonverbal acts. This type of abuse includes verbal assaults, insults, threats, intimidation, humiliation, and harassment. Treating an older person like an infant and giving an elder person the silent treatment are examples of emotional abuse (AOA, nd. . Sexual abuse is defined as sexual contact without consent of any kind with an elderly person. Sexual abuse may include unwanted touching, all types of sexual assault or battery, such as rape, sodomy, coerced nudity, and sexually explicit photographing (AOA, nd). Neglect is defined as the refusal or failure to fulfill any part of a person’s obligations or duties to an elder. Neglect may also include failure of a person who has fiduciary responsibilities to provide care for an elder or the failure on the part of an in-home service provider to provide necessary care. Neglect typically means the refusal or failure to provide an elderly person with such life necessities as food, water, clothing, shelter, personal hygiene, medicine, comfort, personal safety, and other essentials included in an implied or agreed-upon responsibility to an elder (AOA, nd). Abandonment is defined as the desertion of an elderly person by an individual who has taken on the responsibility for providing care for an elder, or by a person with physical custody of an elder(AOA, nd). Financial exploitation is defined as the illegal or improper use of an elder’s funds, property, or assets. Some examples may include, cashing an elderly persons checks without authorization or permission; forging an older persons signature; misusing or stealing an older persons money or possessions; coercing or deceiving an older person into signing any document; and the improper use of conservatorship, guardianship, or power of attorney(AOA, nd). Self neglect is characterized as the behavior of an elderly person that threatens his/her own health or safety. Self-neglect generally manifests itself in an older person as a refusal or failure to provide him/her with adequate food, water, clothing, shelter, personal hygiene, medication when indicated, and safety precautions. The definition of self neglect excludes a situation in which a mentally competent older person, who understands the consequences of his/her decisions, makes a conscious and voluntary decision to engage in acts that threaten his/her health or safety as a matter of personal choice (AOA, nd). Some case studies I will discuss are Hall v. Time Warner, Inc. , Bogert v. Morrison, and Ellzey v. James. Hall v. Time Warner, Inc was a California case from August 2, 2007. The television series Celebrity Justice sent a reporter and cameraman to interview Marlon Brando’s housekeeper in her nursing home, which her family sued. The trial judge refused to dismiss the complaint, and the appellate court ruled that Mr. Brando’s will and estate plan were legitimately a subject of public interest, and that the television program was exercising its First Amendment rights. The trial judge was ordered to conduct further hearings on whether the housekeeper would be likely to prevail on the merits at trial, and if not her complaints of trespass, intrusion upon seclusion, intentional infliction of emotional distress and elder abuse must be dismissed without a trial (spotlight, 2007). According to Spotlight (2007), Bogert v. Morrison was from Florida Court of Appeals on November 28, 2007. Mr. Morrison lived in New Jersey but was visiting in Reno, Nevada when he had an accident resulting in a head injury. He returned home with his partner, but his children invited him to Florida for a visit. While he was in Florida, they initiated a guardianship proceeding; his companion promptly filed a petition in New Jersey. The Florida court initially ruled that it had jurisdiction since the first case was filed there. The appellate court reversed after finding that ties to New Jersey were stronger. The appellate court ultimately agreed and ordered the lower court to reconsider whether to award judgment against the trustee of up to more than $200,000. The Margolis ase relies on an unusual state statute, but serves as a warning to spouses who act as trustee over an incapacitated spouses assets. The Ellzey v. James case is from the Mississippi Court of Appeals on November 20, 2007. Mr. Ellzey gave his longtime companion a deed to oil and mineral rights he owned, intending to hide them from the state Medicaid agency. Later he lost the unrecorded deed he had gotten her to sign returning the rights to him. He sued for return of the property, but the courts ruled that his admitted intent to defraud Medicaid prevented him from seeking equitable relief (spotlight, 2007). An Adult Protective Services survey of cases in Los Angeles County showed the types of abuse to be 28% Neglect, 26% Fiduciary abuse, 25% Psychological abuse, 21% Physical abuse. Research indicated that many abuse victims were subject to multiple types of abuse, such as a combination of physical and psychological abuse, or a combination of fiduciary abuse and neglect (LA4seniors, nd). So what can be done to help our senior citizens to live happy and not have any fear? First of all nursing homes should properly train their employees abut elder abuse and the consequences if they are caught abusing cliental. Police officers and social workers should also be trained to look for signs of elder abuse and to ask in a proper manner when signs are spotted. Maybe the general public should be instructed on elder abuse, so that people will see what is going on in our world. There are currently laws being passed to help protect our seniors, but is that really enough. What more can we do. | | * sudden changes in bank account or banking practice, including an unexplained withdrawal of large sums of money by a person accompanying the elder; * the inclusion of additional names on an elders bank signature card; * unauthorized withdrawal of the elders funds using the elders ATM card; * abrupt changes in a will or other financial documents; * unexplained disappearance of funds or valuable possessions; * substandard care being provided or bills unpaid despite the avai lability of adequate financial resources; * discovery of an elders signature being forged for financial transactions or for the titles of his/her possessions; * sudden appearance of previously uninvolved relatives claiming their rights to an elders affairs and possessions; * unexplained sudden transfer of assets to a family member or someone outside the family; * the provision of ervices that are not necessary; and * an elders report of financial exploitation. | References Administration on aging. Major types of elder abuse. Retrieved August 30, 2010 from ncea. aoa. gov/ncearoot/main_site/faq/basics/types_of_abuse. aspx Alonso, P. (2007). Nursing Home Abuse amp; Violence Among Residents Common, Yet Severely Understudied. Retrieved August 25, 2010 from yourlawyer. com/articles/read/12894 Fulmer, T. (2005). Elder Mistreatment Research Today and Tomorrow. Retrieved August 25, 2010 from www. nygec. org/uploaded_documents/AM_3_Fulmer. ppt GovTrack. us. (2007). S. 1577110th Congress: Pa tient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act. Retrieved August 30, 2010 from govtrack. us/congress/bill. xpd? bill=s110-1577 GovTrack. us. (2009). S. 795111th Congress: Elder Justice Act of 2009. Retrieved August 30, 2010 from govtrack. us/congress/bill. xpd? bill=s111-795 Jeffels, S. (2010). Elder Abuse in Britain. Retrieved August 25, 2010 from ehow. com/about_6305502_elderly-abuse-britain. html#ixzz0xeJxHD9K LA4seniors. (nd). Elder abuse and neglect. Retrieved on September 20, 2010 from la4seniors. com/elder_abuse. htm Spot Light. (2007). Spot Light on Elder Abuse. Retrieved on September 20, 2010 from http://elder-abuse-spotlight. blogspot. om/2008/02/elder-law-court-cases-from-2007-usa. html Thurston M. amp; Modugno V. (2010). Elder abuse: national tragedy. Retrieved august 2, 2010 from http://find. galegroup. com. prx-01. lirn. net/gps/infomark. do? amp;contentset=IAC-Documentsamp;type=retrieveamp;tabID=T004amp;prodId=CJ223348926amp;source=galeamp;srcprod=SP00amp;userGroupName=lirn_crevc amp;version=1. 0 S. 1577110th Co ngress: Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act. GovTrack. us (database of federal legislation). 2007. August 30, 2010 lt; govtrack. us/congress/bill. xpd? bill=s110-1577gt; {{cite web |url= govtrack. us/congress/bill. xpd? bill=s110-1577 title=S. 1577 |accessdate=August 30, 2010 |author=110th Congress (2007) |date=Jun 7, 2007 |work=Legislation |publisher=GovTrack. us |quote=Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act }} 1. S. 795111th Congress: Elder Justice Act of 2009. GovTrack. us (database of federal legislation). 2009. August 30, 2010 lt; govtrack. us/congress/bill. xpd? bill=s111-795gt; 2. {{cite web 3. |url= govtrack. us/congress/bill. xpd? bill=s111-795 4. |title=S. 795 5. |accessdate=August 30, 2010 6. |author=111th Congress (2009) 7. |date=Apr 2, 2009 8. |work=Legislation 9. |publisher=GovTrack. us 10. |quote=Elder Justice Act of 2009 11. }}