Press play - nursing home nightmare.

This situation is among the worst I've witnessed. It's Groundhog Day for our most vulnerable citizens, who are compelled to watch the same film on loop, all day, every day, because the nursing home staff simply press play - nursing home nightmare.

I work with a charity that pairs me with an elderly person in need of companionship. My new friend is Wilma, a 96-year-old woman whose sharpness defies her age. She needs more care than what can be provided at home, but she would never want to burden her family.

I visit Wilma every other Tuesday at 2:30 pm, right after her weekly Bingo tournament.

To get to Wilma's room, I walk past "the lounge," where many residents, afflicted with Dementia or Alzheimer's, spend their days watching TV. It's a poignant sight: Australians in their later years watching movies to pass the time, waiting for visits from friends or family—people like me who honor the generation that built the foundations of our present.

I thought Wilma stayed away from the lounge to avoid feeling "old," but that wasn't the case.

The harsh reality is that the nursing home staff, either too occupied or indifferent, don't change the movie. They subject the elderly residents to the same film, on repeat, endlessly.

This is tantamount to torture.

We're failing our society's most vulnerable members with this neglect. These individuals, including war veterans who've possibly sacrificed their mental health for our nation, are overlooked by the nurses responsible for their care, who don't bother to change the movie once it's finished.

Maybe implementing a movie roster could be a solution?

Glenn Hall is a former advertising executive turned freelance communications consultant. Glenn has a fresh perspective on topical issues and a unique way of viewing the world.   With diverse interests, no topic is out of reach and Glenn will be sure to challenge your thinking.