I'm deeply disturbed by the many stories of elder abuse cases we read about all over our country.

"Elder abuse is such an ugly crime. Its victims are left to suffer in silence and loneliness, often at the hands of the very people charged with their care." This quote was taken from a 2005 Napa Register article by Paul Seave entitled "Facing the facts on elder abuse."

Sadly, there is no federal or state legislation requiring fingerprinting for non-certified caregivers who are going into the homes of our elderly. We in Napa need to try and change that. It's imperative that we protect our most vulnerable citizens, don't you agree?

By and large, most of our county caregivers are angels on this earth, but we now know that this is not always the case.

For instance, in a 2007 Napa Register article by David Ryan, Napa County District Attorney Gary Lieberstein stated that he had heard stories from the state parole system that parole officers are telling convicts that home caregiving is a promising field for gainful employment. Parolees are able to get the work without a lot of background checking.

Granted, these folks have served their time and should be given another chance, but please not in the homes of our elderly.

For some time now, The Napa County Commission on Aging's Caregiver Fingerprinting Ad Hoc Committee has been working on a plan to ensure the safety and security of all elders who rely on others to care for them in their own homes.

The COA advocated for and was instrumental in the passage of the In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority Board Resolution 05-09 on Dec. 20, 2005, that authorized the IHSS Public Authority to access the summary criminal history information of persons who are seeking enrollment in Napa County In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority Register.

Beginning in 2006, the committee began exploring the feasibility of a fingerprinting and background check program that includes all Napa County in home caregivers and agencies. The purpose of this program would be to protect Napa County seniors by identifying and screening out caregivers looking to prey upon one of Napa County's most vulnerable populations. The proposed permitting process would require that any individual or business seeking to provide personal or household services for an elder for compensation be screened and fingerprinted for past criminal activity.

Currently, there are 3,000 caregivers and 17 home health care agencies in Napa County. The home caregiver industry is one of the fastest growing industries, and currently has little or no regulation. The growing number of seniors and the increasing numbers of unregulated health care workers are increasing the risk of Napa County's seniors' safety and well-being.

So far, the prospects are looking good. However, the very necessary part of the equation is missing, and that is the financing.

If you believe, as I do, that we need to see this happen in Napa County, please put your thinking caps on. What's needed for the first year's operation is approximately $108,500. Maybe there are some grants that are available. Please give it your best shot and contact me if you would like further information.

(Senior Corner appears on this page every other Monday, alternating with Jim Ford's Napa As It Was. Rhodes can be reached at bettyrrhodes@sbcglobal.net.)