It’s an increasingly visible and disturbing trend: elderly patients and nursing home residents being abused by caregivers with the use of Snapchat and other social media tools. This form of abuse is on the rise, and is something that families are becoming diligent about when choosing nursing homes.

Watch the video, above, for a news report examining the trend.

WSB-TV discusses the issue further.

It’s a violation of not just privacy, but dignity, too. Nursing home residents are being mocked, ridiculed and exploited by the people paid to care for them.

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Senator Chuck Grassley calls it abuse. He says it’s happened dozens of times at nursing homes across the county.

Grassley sent a letter to the Justice Department demanding a nationwide investigation.

“You’re there because you can’t entirely take care of yourself. Then to have some people abuse these elderly people is a shame. We have to put a stop to it,” Grassley said.

Grassley is also reaching out to Medicare and Medicaid to see if more can be done in nursing home inspections.

“It’s just taking advantage of people in a way that’s inhumane,” he said.

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A Snapchat spokesperson told Channel 2 that the incidents violate both their community guidelines and terms of service, and the app has a tool for Snapchatters to report violations.

CMS, the government agency that regulates nursing homes, said there is a proposed rulemaking published on the federal register. It specifically singles out social media and mobile device abuse in the new rules that would govern nursing homes.

Snapchat does allow for users to report violations of their community guidelines, but families should still be on the lookout to ensure their loved ones’ safety.