Netizens have been shocked by the publication of a video which shows the abuse of elderly residents at a care home in Kanagawa City.
The video shows a staff member beating an elderly woman, and was recorded secretly by the family of the resident in question. A full investigation carried out by Kanagawa City confirmed that four staff members had been mistreating residents.
2ch netizens say that the treatment of the elderly in this way is unforgivable, but the situation also raises questions about the ongoing care of Japan’s rapidly aging population in years to come.
From News 24:
“Video Of Abuse” Published On Elderly Care Home Where A Series Of Residents Have Died After Falls
In the ongoing issue over the deaths of three residents who died after falling at “S Amille Kanagawa Saiwaicho”, an elderly care home in Kanagawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture, it is also being confirmed whether staff had been abusing residents. The family of one of the residents have published a video showing abuse of a resident, and are suing for damages.
In the video, a female staff member says: “Sit down! We can do this as many times as you want!”
The resident then says “Ah, ah, ah […] Ah…That’s dangerous…I’ll die…Ah…I’ll die…Why are you doing that…Ah…”
The video was filmed by the resident’s family in June this year, and shows the staff member strangling the resident, throwing her on the bed, and hitting her around the head.
The family of the woman who suffered the abuse said: “She’s just had something so awful done to her…it’s violence […] and this is not something that was a one off, it’s a daily occurrence”.
Kanagawa City received a complaint from the family and held an investigation in June and July. They confirmed that four staff members had done things such as saying violent things to residents, such as “Die!”, hitting them around the head, and eating residents’ meals without asking.
From this point on, the family are investigating making criminal charges.
The video released by the family can be found here
Comments from 2ch.net:
トペ コンヒーロ(東京都)＠＼(^o^)／:
This is horrible.
ニーリフト(WiMAX)＠＼(^o^)／:
So awful. I don’t want to be treated like that when I’m older.
This is clearly assault.
ドラゴンスープレックス(dion軍)＠＼(^o^)／:
This has made me feel really sick.
ツームストンパイルドライバー(神奈川県)＠＼(^o^)／:
There is a relatively high amount of abuse at facilities like this.
Is it so difficult to prosecute them?
ファイナルカット(SB-iPhone)＠＼(^o^)／:
Why can they get away with stuff like that?
Made me cry.
エメラルドフロウジョン(チベット自治区)＠＼(^o^)／:
If they knew about it why are they making her live there?
The family are just as guilty.
ラダームーンサルト(新疆ウイグル自治区)＠＼(^o^)／:
Not many people go into nursing by choice, and when the facility vets candidates, I don’t suppose there are any suitable ones.
I think that means that the level of the staff is therefore low.
セントーン(三重県)＠＼(^o^)／:
Nursing staff are the pits.
ラ ケブラーダ(dion軍)＠＼(^o^)／:
観てたら動悸がしてきたわ
I had palpitations watching this.
If that elderly person had been someone close to me I’d have beaten the person “caring” for them to a pulp.
エメラルドフロウジョン(チベット自治区)＠＼(^o^)／: [in response to above]
If you’re thinking that much about it then care for them yourself! w
Or employ a carer directly yourself.
チェーン攻撃(茸)＠＼(^o^)／:
Guess I’ll end up like that someday.
張り手(神奈川県)＠＼(^o^)／:
Those care facilities are just uba-sute yama in the first place. [“uba-sute yama” refers to “the mountain where you leave an elderly parent”. This comes from Japanese folklore, where elderly parents, usually mothers, would ask to be taken to a mountain to be left to die so that they were not a burden to their adult children].
ファイナルカット(SB-iPhone)＠＼(^o^)／:
Seems like even though these families know that it is a brutal facility where there is such inhumane treatment of residents, they still have no intention of taking the elderly person into their homes until they are forced remove them from the facility.
バーニングハンマー(SB-iPhone)＠＼(^o^)／:
I mean why don’t they just put CCTV cameras in each room?
イス攻撃(栃木県)＠＼(^o^)／: [in response to above]
I get what you’re saying, but then they’d have people kicking up a fuss over privacy.
膝靭帯固め(大阪府)＠＼(^o^)／:
Anyone can become nursing staff. It’s a shit job that even people with criminal records can do.
男色ドライバー(SB-iPhone)＠＼(^o^)／:
This is why we need robot nursing.
32文ロケット砲(大分県)＠＼(^o^)／:
The elderly live too long in Japan these days.
デンジャラスバックドロップ(大阪府)＠＼(^o^)／:
Management is key in these places.
They’re not going to be improved by the binding force of the law.
