Relief Slowly Arriving at Haiti's Nursing Homes

Despite the flood of news coming out of Haiti, little has been shared about the fate of the nation's nursing home residents. A CBS News report paints a bleak picture of elderly Haitians fighting to survive without food, water and their medication.

At Port-au-Prince Municipal Nursing Home, which is located barely a mile from the airport where massive aid is pouring in, many residents were still wearing briefs that hadn't been changed since the earthquake that were beginning to attract rats.

Thankfully, it appears that aid is beginning to trickle into Haiti's nursing homes. Volunteers have brought food, including rice and bowls of spaghetti, to residents. Other volunteers provided antibiotics. Still, it isn't nearly enough.

Louis Belanger, a spokesman for Oxfam Great Britain, was quoted as saying, "It is very often the case that the strongest and fittest get help.... Those left behind are the elderly and the women with children, so we are working hard to make sure aid is coordinated."

The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) is encouraging its members to donate what they can to credible organizations, such as the Red Cross, that are involved in disaster relief.