A sentencing last week wrapped up a second case in the county this year regarding caregivers engaging in abusive behavior against people who depend on them.

The handicapped and elderly are among our society’s most vulnerable, so it’s disheartening to see them fall victim to the very people entrusted with their well-being.

On Wednesday, a Butler County judge sentenced a 21-year-old man to two years of probation for abusing a mentally handicapped man with the capabilities of a 2-year-old at the Lifesteps medical facility in Summit Township.

The judge indicated the only reason the defendant — who along with two other medical aides assaulted the man, resulting in a black eye, broken finger, bruising and bite mark — got probation, rather than prison time, is the fact he was 20 years old at the time of the attack.

Last summer, a lawsuit was filed after the family of an 83-year-old woman with dementia alleged that a staff member at Paramount Senior Living at Cranberry photographed her partially nude and posted the picture on social media.

And at the year’s beginning, a 92-year-old Pittsburgh woman had to get 17 stitches after a home health caregiver allegedly attacked her.

According to the National Coalition on Aging, about one in 10 people over the age of 60 experiences some form of elder abuse, but only about one in 14 cases are reported to authorities.

It’s the expectation that people taking on positions to assist the handicapped or elderly are doing so to care for others.

It’s not likely they do it for the money. Salaries for home health aides or resident aides at nursing homes or other facilities tend to be in the low to mid $20,000s.

If people in the health care field do not believe they are suited for this type of work, they shouldn’t take the job. Our handicapped and elderly citizens deserve better.

At the same time, facilities should set higher standards for employees and, when possible, offer better pay to attract better candidates. They should prioritize training for employees and counseling for those who provide such important, but often grueling, services.

While the seemingly light punishment in the Lifesteps case appears to have been due to the defendant being young, Pennsylvania passed a law last year to expand prosecutorial powers to go after those who abuse a care-dependent person.

We hope prosecutors use the law forcefully to dissuade others from abusing or taking advantage of our vulnerable citizens.