Rights and Common Sense

Whatever happened to common sense? Is it truly gone? There are days when I really wonder. Last night before work I saw part of a King of the Hill where Hank and Bobby get involved in a program called Straight Arrows. The problem with the program was the person running it didn't want any of the kids to get hurt so they learned how to make a fire with fake fires. Instead of real pocket knives they were given toy knives. It seemed like so much concern was on safety that they overlooked basic common sense. I see the same type of thing everyday at work.
I'm a caregiver working with the elderly in a facility. Our job there is to provide the best possible care we can for those in the facility. What we can and can't do is strictly governed by state regulations and Resident Rights. The problem is how these are interpreted. Recently we had a meeting where we were basically told that an elderly person has the right to fall out of bed and hurt themselves. This holds true even in the person is very confused and does not seem to understand that certain behaviors can be harmful to themselves. The problem is further complicated by administration that refuses to truly listen to the caregivers who deal with the situation on a daily basis. The solution given to this particular problem was totally impractical under the current system.
Another problem that I have seen over and over deals with abuse. There is all kinds of media concerning Elder Abuse, but I have yet to see anything on the abuse that caregivers have to put up with on a regular basis. I have seen caregivers hit, kicked, slapped, pinched, spit on, scratched and more. Even when this is reported to those higher up nothing is done. The unspoken message is it's all part of the job. Is there any common sense in this?
I've seen it reported that caregivers are some of the most underpaid workers. We all want to the best for our elderly and want to see that they get the best possible care, but at what cost. I'm a caregiver because I chose to be, because I truly care about those I take care of everyday. I could make much better money in another job but I wouldn't find the satisfaction I find in this one... most days.
Since I have been doing this job I have seen roughly a 90% turnover in the basic working staff. From business classes I know that if most businesses saw that kind of turnover they would look to see what was causing such a turnover. But the attitude these days, not only where I work, but in many businesses is, so what, we can always hire more, in this economy there is always someone to take the job. Whatever happened to wanting to provide the best possible workers? These days it just seems to be as long as the person does the minimal job and doesn't cause problems then they are good.
In conclusion, I'll take a phrase from one of my favorite childrens books, I just got through a terrible, no good, very bad day, I think I'll move to Australia.