Letters: Concerning response to report; Public deserves answers about Penn State, Clery Act

Concerning response to report

Regarding the Nov. 27 CDT article “Report: Infection, hand washing concerns at PA hospitals,” what I heard in the response from Dr. Upendra Thaker, chief medical officer of Mount Nittany Medical Center, was denial and no desire to do better. Hmmm.

Public deserves answers about Penn State, Clery Act

Perhaps I have a unique perspective on the Clery Act and Penn State’s failure to comply. The law went into effect in 1990 after Jeanne Clery was murdered on a Pennsylvania campus. At the time, I was a college administrator at a private college overseeing security among other functions. At my weekly meeting with our president, he handed me the Clery Act forms that required reporting of serious crimes that occurred on our campus over the last year. He directed me to have the information returned to the Department of Education in a timely manner.

I saluted and promptly met with our head of security, giving him the same instructions I had received. Within a few days, the forms were completed and returned.

I was shocked* in 2011 when PSU’s failure to comply with the Clery Act was revealed as part of the investigation into the Sandusky scandal. To save you from doing the math, 21 years had elapsed. Penn State’s failure to comply was reported again in the CDT in 2016 when the university paid $2.4 million in fines to the Department of Education. Penn State and Clery surfaced once again in the CDT (Nov. 6, 2023) when a student was denied access to data on crime on the campus.

My point is compliance is not hard. Why then does PSU drag its feet? Obviously, the potential costs are high in monetary terms, especially when the university is cutting jobs due to a “deficit budget.”

Is it gross incompetence? Or is the university covering up campus crime? Penn State is a public university and the public deserves to know.

*Unlike Louis Renault in Casablanca, I was sincerely shocked.

Support available for caregivers

The holiday season can be a stressful time for many, but for the more than 400,000 family and friends serving as unpaid caregivers of people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia in Pennsylvania, the holidays can be especially challenging.

In Pennsylvania, 22% of caregivers report feeling depressed and 56% have a chronic health condition, according to the Alzheimer’s Association 2023 Facts and Figures report. Add in the holidays and caregivers may feel overwhelmed by maintaining traditions while also providing care.

The Alzheimer’s Association is always available to provide support through its 24/7 Helpline. When calling, individuals can speak confidentially with master’s-level care consultants for decision-making support, crisis assistance and education on issues families face every day.

There are a few ways to connect with the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline. Individuals can call 800-272-3900 around the clock, 365 days a year or visit alz.org/helpline and click on the “Live Chat” green button to connect with staff between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday.

To learn more about local resources, support groups and education programs offered by the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter, visit the Community Resource Finder at alz.org/crf.