Recently, a nursing home in Shanghai has been exposed for locking multiple disabled individuals in small, dirty rooms, sparking attention on social media.
On October 13, a netizen posted a video on social media exposing the Shanghai Gongyi Nursing Home in Pudong District, Shanghai, where several disabled individuals were locked in poorly maintained small rooms. The video showed multiple people confined in small partitions with iron gates, and the walls were covered in dirt.
Subsequently, a topic labeled “A nursing home in Shanghai locks people in rooms resembling pigsties” gained attention.
“Even if someone falls ill, they should not be locked up. This is considered imprisonment, restricting others’ freedom. If it is really necessary to confine someone, it should be handled in a reasonable manner.”
“Taking money and locking people in such dirty places, how is this different from confining animals?” “This is shocking. Is this really a nursing home?” “It would be a dire situation without family members’ oversight.” “Is this a moral decline or a distortion of humanity?”
“If Shanghai is like this, what about other places?” “It’s the same nationwide. The fact that such incidents in Shanghai are exposed shows that there are people paying attention. Those dark, unexposed corners are like purgatories on earth!” “This has been exposed, so they say they are rectifying it. But what if it hadn’t been exposed…”
Under public pressure, on October 14, the nursing home staff responded, claiming that not all the nursing homes were like this. There are 6 of these “small rooms” where disabled individuals stay when they have episodes, and indeed, there are environmental issues that are being addressed with renovations to expand larger rooms. The local Civil Affairs Bureau’s Elderly Care Division stated that they have intervened with the Disabled Persons’ Federation and are currently handling the situation.