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Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Elder Abuse Essay Example for Free

Elder Abuse Essay Elder abuse or elder mistreatment occurs when a person intentionally or unintentionally brings harm to an elder person. It is also when the health and well-being of an elder is negatively affected. In a research done in the United States had shown 700,000 out of 1. 5 million elders are being mistreated. There are different forms of elder abuse varying from – physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, abandonment and a combination of the forms stated earlier. Anyone can be an abuser, even if he/she is a family to the victim; a member of a formal care center (medical staff, caregiver etc. ; and people within the community where the elder belongs. There are no specific characteristics for these abusers; they cannot be solely distinguished from the crowd. However, we can distinguish elderly people who maybe a victim of elderly mistreatment by observing their behaviors, and by observing his/her environment. Literature Review According to the electronic copy of the â€Å"15 Questions Answers About Elder Abuse† from the National Center on Elder Abuse, elderly mistreatment occurs when intended or carelessly actions brought harm to an elder. Abusers have different personalities and reasons for committing abusive actions to elderly people. Then how do we spot an abuser? Specially at times, when the elder being abused is physically or mentally incapable of reporting to the authorities. Some signs that may indicate occurrences of abuse is when there are visible bruises, slap markings, rashes on the victim’s body; change in behavior (fearful, more aggressive etc. ); isolating themselves; lack proper clothing food; refuse medication; poor living quarters and so on. Other signs to look for in the abusers’ personality are whether he/she is an : alcoholic, had history of domestic abuse; mental illness; bad temper; tendency to blame other people; economic pressure and so on. The above mentioned are just a few informative facts to consider when suspecting of elderly abuse occurrences, either by the abuser or victim’s actions. We have to be aware that currently there are no federal laws protecting elders from elderly mistreatment. However, there are state laws which protect the elderly, like the institutional abuse concerning elderly people in nursing homes and the like. There is also the domestic abuse where elderly abuse falls too, abuse happens within the family. An increasing number of states are becoming responsive in enforcing laws protecting the elders. We are reminded too, to do our part as responsible citizens, that when we suspect of elderly abuse we must inform the police or an adult protective service for them to conduct investigations and provide help to the victims. NCEA also suggested ways to decrease the risk of experiencing elder abuse by – staying busy in life and acquiring a strong support from one’s family; living healthy to avoid dependence when getting old and lastly, trust your instincts when things don’t feel right. As a whole, there are actions being done by the government together with various organizations to fight and decrease the level of elder abuse thru awareness programs and elder abuse prevention activities. Methodology My topic is about elderly abuse which is currently happening around the world. It cannot be denied that more and more elders are experiencing it right now. Thus, awareness to the public must be brought regarding the definition of elder abuse, who are the victims and abusers, how to prevent it and how to report a case of elder abuse. It has come to my awareness that there are numerous organizations created to prevent elder abuse and help those who have been victims of it. Though no federal law has been made specifically for elder abuse, there are state laws present to give corresponding actions and solutions to such cases. As a citizen, I had been informed that I can make a difference, that I can help decrease the cases of elder abuse by being attentive to my surroundings and socially responsive when needed, like if I see an instance of elder abuse there are hotlines that I can call. My small gesture of notifying the authorities will start a proper investigation and will help the elder experiencing abuse. Data Analysis I had stated earlier that elder abuse can be done in many forms. I shall further elaborate how elder abuse takes place: . ) Physical Abuse – when force is used to elderly people causing them harm and injury. It may not necessarily mean that the abuser is beating or hurting the elderly victim, instead it may also be in the form of confining the elder in one place or restraining him/her to act freely. 2. ) Emotional Abuse – hurting and offending the elder verbally which may hurt one’s feeling and cause him/her stress. Forms of verbal abuse are yelling to the person, threatening and blaming the person. Examples of non-verbal abuse are when the elder is being ignored, treated carelessly menacingly, and isolated from the society. 3. ) Neglect or Abandonment – when the elder is unable to take proper medication; lives in a poor living condition; actively or passively not being taken good care of; and when he/she does not receive proper care. 4. ) Financial Exploitation – the abuser (either a family member, caregiver or a third person) uses the victim’s possession and money without permission. This occurs when the victim’s credit card and cash are being used by an unauthorized person; forgery of the victim’s signature; identity theft; financially unable to support one’s self; pension checks being stolen and so on. 5. ) Health Care Fraud Abuse – the abusers are from the medical staff either the doctors, nurses, caregivers and health care institutions. This case is present when there is overcharging, overmedication or opposite; kickbacks from referrals and so on. Anyone is capable of committing elder abuse for different reasons. Some of the most common reasons, however are due to financial interests; lack of patience to take care of the elder; short tempered; feeling superior over the elder since the elder can’t fight back or stand from himself; and the way of thinking of the abusers that their actions won’t be known by other people. Results In some instances though, elder abuse is really unintentional such in the cases of caregivers. When they are pushed beyond their limit and are over-whelmed with stress from work and their personal lives. Influence plays an important part as well, on why elder abuse occurs both from the abuser and victims actions. For the victim’s part, he/she may have been an abuser earlier to the people around him/her; has his/her own tendency to physically or verbally abuse people; and has a domestic history of violence in their home. On the abuser’s part, he/she has previous domestic violence involvement; may be due to drugs or alcoholism; short tempered and so on. In the end though, once it has been proven that there had been elder abuse, the abuser may either go to jail and/or pay for damages done to the victim. The victim on the other hand is given proper help to recover. If abusive actions are not recognized from the start, may cause minor to major damages to the victim. But if elder abuse is detected much earlier, it can be prevented and many will not suffer. In a 1992 article published, and re-posted on the internet, the term â€Å"Granny dumping† has been used pertaining to the abandonment of elderly people. This only shows that elder abuse had been present for a long time, and its population has increased over the years. The good thing is that in present years, proper actions and help is offered to the public, thus creating awareness. Discussion Elder Abuse, or earlier known as ‘Granny dumping’ has long been present. In America alone, according to the studies made, a day won’t pass that an elder is not brought to the emergency room because he/she has been abandoned or maltreated. It is a sad fact that not many are aware that elder abuse exists or that they are doing elder abuse by simply yelling at these elders or by disrespecting them. With the rise of nursing homes, these elderly people are becoming more vulnerable since they are exposed and involved with people whom they don’t know at all. When the family of the elder can no longer take care of him/her, they are sent to nursing institutions. Worse, if the family has no financial means they just leave their elder on the streets. There is nothing wrong in being a caregiver, but if you are becoming over-whelmed with your job you can do these things to avoid elder abuse – seek help from friends/family/institutions, take short leaves; find an adult day care program whenever you feel like your stress-out; adopt stress reduction activities; seek emotional help when needed; and maintain a healthy lifestyle for yourself too. There are numerous ways to prevent elder abuse, but it all has to start within the community we belong and by us, being observant of what’s happening in our surrounding. It may start with our uncomfortable feeling how an elder we know or see is being treated, we can speak up and report it to the authorities. It does not mean that these elderly people can no longer stand up for themselves would remain silent and just take the abuses given to them. We must speak up for them. Conclusion It is clear that elder abuse happens worldwide, the focus of my research paper has been in the U. S. alone. What’s even more disappointing is that most common abusers are the family members of the elder, have they forgotten about the times when their parents or their elderly relatives took care of them? However, the actions of these abusers are clearly wrong but they may have their reason for having committed abuse. Abusers or prospective abusers must seek help whether emotional support or medications for them to avoid improper behavior towards the elderly people. Today, awareness to the public about elder abuse is being given importance. Funds are being set aside and donations are being given to help inform the public and save abused elders. The condition in decreasing the number of elder abuse has strengthened and improved. As more volunteers and organizations are willing to help. Add too, the support obtained locally and internationally from political organizations and leaders. Let’s not forget that abusers are also faced with equivalent punishments and fines for their actions. The simplest help everyone can give, is to be socially aware and responsive to one’s surrounding. It’s like watching for each other’s back, and offering help even in the smallest means. Though the authorities are present, the policemen and various organizations, we have to act first before they can proceed and apply proper actions about the abusive cases. Second, we can apply these reminders in our lives: 1. ) listen to our seniors and their caregivers; 2. ) intervene upon suspicion of elder abuse; and 3. ) educate or inform other people about elder abuse. Lastly, how can we protect our elders and ourselves from elder abuse? By arranging our financial and legal affairs, if legal help is required, obtain one. Second, by staying in touch with our friends, family and relatives to decrease our vulnerability to abuse and the like. And we must keep in mind, that all human beings must be treated well; elders, women, men and children must be treated humanely and be given their needs in life such as proper housing, enough food, required medication, proper clothing and care.

Monday, January 20, 2020

Prejudice, Racism and Education :: Sociology Racism Prejudice Essays

Racism has been a steady problem all through time. One of the most troublesome areas of racism is in places of education. Finding a cure for this would be a major step towards ending racism in general. No one has ever thought of a solution yet, and racism will be strong as long as there isn't one.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It all started back when the colonists traded certain goods for slaves. They had never seen a black person before and thought of them as lower human beings because they did all of the colonists' work for them. Since blacks were so low, they were never given a good education.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This lack of education continued throughout the centuries. Even in the 1700's slaves were never taught how to read or write. In the 1800's everyone's feelings about slavery, good or bad, culminated in one big war, the American Civil War. During this period, the slaves really tried to break free from their past stereotypes. A small percentage of them taught themselves to read and write and they began to teach others.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some blacks even fought in the Civil War. The most educated   were selected and several black units were formed. Once the North had defeated the South in the war, the slaves were freed from bondage, however, that did not mean that they would be free from the terrible prejudice that still permeated the country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Schools sprang up in all black areas but were not given the public funding that they needed and deserved. They were usually only one room and very dirty. They were given the oldest and most worn out books and equipment that were available. There weren't even many teachers who were qualified and were willing to teach at an all black school. Even though education was instituted for African Americans, which was a step in the right direction, it was a very small step and still didn't give blacks the education they deserved.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This treatment prevailed for many years after the Civil War. A new concept, segregation , evolved and was predominant from the late 1800's through the first half of the 1900's. Whites assumed that they were better than black people and didn't want to be around them in anything they did. For example, in buses, whites were given privileged seating in front; but blacks had to sit in the back. Moreover, if there were not enough front seats whites could preempt blacks from their back seats. There were separate restrooms, drinking fountains, stores and, of course, schools.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Segregation remained the same for many years until one day in 1955 a Prejudice, Racism and Education :: Sociology Racism Prejudice Essays Racism has been a steady problem all through time. One of the most troublesome areas of racism is in places of education. Finding a cure for this would be a major step towards ending racism in general. No one has ever thought of a solution yet, and racism will be strong as long as there isn't one.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It all started back when the colonists traded certain goods for slaves. They had never seen a black person before and thought of them as lower human beings because they did all of the colonists' work for them. Since blacks were so low, they were never given a good education.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This lack of education continued throughout the centuries. Even in the 1700's slaves were never taught how to read or write. In the 1800's everyone's feelings about slavery, good or bad, culminated in one big war, the American Civil War. During this period, the slaves really tried to break free from their past stereotypes. A small percentage of them taught themselves to read and write and they began to teach others.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some blacks even fought in the Civil War. The most educated   were selected and several black units were formed. Once the North had defeated the South in the war, the slaves were freed from bondage, however, that did not mean that they would be free from the terrible prejudice that still permeated the country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Schools sprang up in all black areas but were not given the public funding that they needed and deserved. They were usually only one room and very dirty. They were given the oldest and most worn out books and equipment that were available. There weren't even many teachers who were qualified and were willing to teach at an all black school. Even though education was instituted for African Americans, which was a step in the right direction, it was a very small step and still didn't give blacks the education they deserved.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This treatment prevailed for many years after the Civil War. A new concept, segregation , evolved and was predominant from the late 1800's through the first half of the 1900's. Whites assumed that they were better than black people and didn't want to be around them in anything they did. For example, in buses, whites were given privileged seating in front; but blacks had to sit in the back. Moreover, if there were not enough front seats whites could preempt blacks from their back seats. There were separate restrooms, drinking fountains, stores and, of course, schools.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Segregation remained the same for many years until one day in 1955 a

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Pay System in Organizations Essay

Since last few years, companies and organizations have been formulating different ways to develop and design different payment methods on the basis of their performance depending on their particular organizational goals. This system, as Jeffery A Mello said, pay for performance programs reward to employees in the form of increase in salary on the basis of merit, bonuses, and stock options as for achieving the acquired performance levels giving due consideration to skills and competencies. Mello, 2006) These incentives motivate employees to increase their performance level increasing the competition spirit as well overall performance of the organization. Academy of Management Journal as on first February 1998 published an article ‘An empirical analysis of a skill-based pay program and plant performance outcomes’ by Brian Murray and Barry Gerhart. This academic article reported that around 51 per cent of the large companies were making use of the skill or knowledge based pay programs in small portions of their organizations. It was found that the traditional approach of payment takes into consideration only the main features of the work employees need to complete, whereas the pay programs based on the skills were bestowing rewards on the basis of the performance and work shown by the employees that they termed as â€Å"work-related attributes of employees. † (Murray & Gerhart, 1998, p. 68) By offering incentives to employees on their performance and showing their different traits like skills, capabilities and knowledge, organizations were able to divert the employees towards several opportunities they can avail of for their growth. By diverting the attention of the workers towards the skill based goals, organizations hoped to give more space to flexibility, reduction in the labor cost and increase in the product quality. Asian Business and Management journal reported performance-related pay systems in their article ‘Paying for Success: Performance-Related Pay Systems and its effects on Firm Performance in Japan’ by Dai Miyamoto and Junpe Higuchi, published in 2007. The paper showed the effects on the performance of the firm by the introduction of the performance-related pay (PRP) systems introduced at Japanese companies since late 1990s. The central point of the paper was to develop from the previous research process the fairness of the PRP systems instead of the introduction and another focus had been on the way there has been changing in the labor cost management. In the study, the most important finding has been the way the process of communication between the superiors and subordinates plays a role in bringing in improvement in the performance of the firms. Though at relatively large companies, there was seen reduction in the basic pay yet there has been increase in the correlation between performance and labor costs having a disincentive effect, but there has been much improvement at the performance level of Japanese firms through the process of PRP systems. (Miyamoto & Higuchi, 2007) Under this system, company’s strategic concept in Japan has been to reverse the traditional system of compensating employees, which takes age as well as the personal attributes as criteria as standard. Companies are now on large account preferring the skills and performance of the employees related to work for defining pay structure. From the provision of promotion, the system has been changed to the remuneration system. Companies aim to provide incentives on the basis of the strict performance appraisals thus intending to create a strong connection between performance and pay. Miyamoto & Higuchi, 2007) The strategic move by the companies to give the practical shape to the skill based payment system has its basis on two broad theoretical approaches-behavioral approach and operational approach. The skill-based pay system allows the organization to bring in the changes in the nature of the work creating a direct as well as indirect effect on the attitude or behavior of the workers. In the operational approach, the focus is on the process of scheduling in the production jobs and constriction on the flexibility of the labor assignment. As the main purpose of the skill-oriented pay system is creating an affect on the flexibility in the work force, the process could considerably reduce the effect on the labor constraints and permit for efficiency in production scheduling. (Murray & Gerhart, 1998) If we consider the short period, skill based pay system assumed to have a positive effect on the organizational outcome. To get such results, managers should realize that the payment system based on the skill should be a comprehensive human resource program and the results that could emerge are dependent on the way basic pay is fixed. The success of any policy is also dependent on the way resources are allotted and managed so as there is a provision for adequate training, certification appraisal and the way scheduling on the production level is managed and the complementary job design is fixed. Without following even any one of the policy or procedure could result in the lack of motivation among employees for upgrading themselves or it could also result in the rise in pay but without rise in productivity or quality. (Murray & Gerhart, 1998)

Saturday, January 4, 2020

The Number Pi 3.14159265...

One of the most widely used constants throughout mathematics is the number pi, which is denoted by the Greek letter Ï€. The concept of pi originated in geometry, but this number has applications throughout mathematics and shows up in far-ranging subjects including statistics and probability. Pi has even gained cultural recognition and its own holiday, with the celebration of Pi Day activities around the world. The Value of Pi Pi is defined as the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. The value of pi is slightly greater than three, which means that every circle in the universe has a circumference with a length that is a little more than three times its diameter. More precisely, pi has a decimal representation that begins 3.14159265... This is only part of the decimal expansion of pi. Pi Facts Pi has many fascinating and unusual features, including:   Pi is an irrational real number. This means that pi cannot be expressed as a fraction a/b where a and b are both integers. Although the numbers 22/7 and 355/113 are helpful in estimating pi, neither of these fractions is the true value of pi.Because pi is an irrational number, its decimal expansion never terminates or repeats. There are some questions concerning this decimal expansion, such as:  Does every possible string of digits show up somewhere in the decimal expansion of pi? If every possible string does appear, then your cell phone number is somewhere in the expansion of pi (but so is everyone else’s).Pi is a transcendental number. This means that pi is not the zero of a polynomial with integer coefficients. This fact is important when exploring more advanced features of pi.Pi is important geometrically, and not just because it relates the circumference and diameter of a circle. This number also shows up in the formula for the area of a circle. The area of a circle of radius r is A pi r2. The number pi is used in other geometric formulas, such as the surface area and volume of a sphere, the volume of a cone, and the volume of a cylinder with a circular base.Pi appears when least expected. For one of many examples of this, consider the infinite sum 1 1/4 1/9 1/16 1/25 ... This sum converges to the value pi2/6. Pi in Statistics and Probability Pi makes surprising appearances throughout mathematics, and some of these appearances are in the subjects of probability and statistics. The formula for the standard normal distribution, also known as the bell curve, features the number pi as a constant of normalization. In other words, dividing by an expression involving pi allows you to say that the area under the curve is equal to one. Pi is part of the formulas for other probability distributions as well. Another surprising occurrence of pi in probability is a centuries-old needle-throwing experiment. In the 18th century,  Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon  posed a question concerning the probability of dropping needles: Start with a floor with planks of wood of a uniform width in which the lines between each of the planks are parallel to one another. Take a needle with a  length shorter than the distance between the planks. If you drop a needle on the floor, what is the probability that it will land on a line between two of the wood planks? As it turns out, the probability that the needle lands on a line between two planks is twice the length of needle  divided by the length between the planks times pi.