Our movement to provide better protection to the elderly began when Carmen Chavez was brutalized and victimized in a hospital. Per grandson wrote a book to protest her treatment. "Justice for Carmen" is based on the true-life story of a sweet grandmother named Carmen Chávez. This novel reveals how police protocols, the legal system, and state and federal governments are all enabling medical negligence and elder abuse in U.S. hospitals. Anthony Menzel wrote "Justice for Carmen" so that his grandmother Carmen’s pain would not be in vain: He hopes that the story of how she was tortured will prevent the suffering of many other people in the future.
Please feel free to share you personal experiences with elder abuse by a hospital or nursing home and help us to raise awareness for this important cause that will someday affect us all.
This book is very thought provoking and the poetry is deeply touching. The author provides remarkable insight into how people deal in various ways with the aging and death of their loved ones. He also educates us about the shocking injustice of the current legal system that does little to protect the elderly from abuse in hospitals–at least in New Jersey. The author does a superb job in involving us with his life and emotions and gives us some helpful guidance on how to deal with grief and rage.
William
Hello Anthony,
I read your lovely book and tribute to your beloved grandmother. It is very compelling and certainly demonstrates the value to keeping notes–when one is least likely to feel like doing so. We too were told that our parents’ lives had no economic value–certainly an added blow to the one caused by their death. How awful, when they meant everything to us. I wish you well in your crusade.Lucille Lawless
It’s such an outrage that our justice system cares so little for our elderly. The mere fact that her suffering was met with such indifference from the medical staff is disturbing enough but then to find out that if she had suffered for many more months or even years, the legal system would have considered it worth pursuing is beyond despicable. Sadly this isn’t an isolated case. Something has to be done or this callous abuse will continue and people will continue not to be held accountable. Our seniors and loved ones deserve better than that.
Hal Savyer