Still have your doubts? Look at this!

Last time I wrote about a page I couldn't find, well I found it. It is the results of NCDHHS investigations of nursing homes. When I looked at Hendersonville Health and Rehab, there was a complaint that was not there the last time I had looked.
Basically someone complained because they or their loved one had been given the wrong medication. This resulted in the patients pulse dropping to 46 and them being sent to the hospital for observation. The procedure for administering medication was not followed. According to records they need two out of four ways of identifying the patient. The nurse in this case just went up to this patient in the physical therapy room and asked if he was the patient ( name not given). From what the report says, there was no lasting harm.
You would think they would be fined or penalized for such a serious mistake, but they were not. There are other facilities that get fined for less serious offenses. Take a look at some of what goes on at these places. It is almost criminal what they are allowed to get away with.
 If my memory is correct, there was one facility that let one of their residents wander off , resulting in her being hit by a car that was backing up .According to the report, she died from the accident.
They were only fined $6000.00. It's hard to believe, thats what a life is worth to the NCDHHS?
Go down the page below and look at Hendersonville Health and Rehab. It's not quite the paradise they make it out to be in the commercials on WLOS! Nor is Beystone, Stone Creek or Mountain Home Health and Rehab ( one of Larry Joes many intrests). This stuff really happens. These people have only one concern, and rest assured it is not the well being of their residents. It is MONEY plain and simple! When you read the reports it sure does look like NCDHHS is looking the other way. And the cost of that is human lives!

http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dhsr/facilities/results.asp

I will now provide some examples of why I feel there is something going on between the NCDHHS and some of the groups that own nursing homes and Rehab facilities. On the NCDHHS website you can find a list of fines imposed on these facilities.
In Henderson County there have only been six penalties issued, of those six, three are against the same facility. All of the penalties seem to be against the smaller not so wealthy homes.Follow the link below an see for yourself.

http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dhsr/acls/adultcarepenalties.html#Henderson

I have seen a page on the NCDHHS website that lists complaints filed and the results of the investigations. I just went to their website and could not find a link to take me there. I will look later at my research and post that page. The same page lists the results of the annual recertification inspections. It seems funny that when the NCDHHS does their review, they are able to find lots of things that need to be addressed by these facilities. The page also lists complaints, and it is no surprise that almost all of the complaints are not substantiated.
If you have ever been in one of these places, I would be willing to bet, you  personally witnessed something that would be against NCDHHS regulations. I spent plenty of time in Hendersonville Health and Rehab, visiting my Mom before her death.
As I look through the regulations the NCDHHS is responsible for enforcing, I could list three or four violations a day.
The results of these inspections should be posted in a public place. Any restaurant has to place a letter grade from the health department in plain sight. The results of the inspections are also listed in the local newspaper. It's comforting to know they are so concerned about letting us know what happens where we eat.
You would hope that a place that you are trusting to take care of your loved one, would be subject to the same scrutiny as where you eat dinner. I would hope nursing homes and Rehab facilities, were held to a higher standard than McDonalds. Seems like someone somewhere has their priorities mixed up. Or the integrity of our local health department is stronger than that of the NCDHHS nursing home licensing division.
"Just Sayin"

I have been watching the obituaries for some time now and I am noticing that it has been a while since someone died at Hendersonville Health and Rehab. Could be they are just sending them to Pardee Hospital to be pronounced ( like they did my Mother) or maybe they have actually increased the level of staff to insure the safety of their residents.
Whatever they are doing, I will continue to keep watching what happens there and all the other SanStone properties. I hope what I am doing will make a change in how they care for their helpless patients. I have a feeling that when that much money is involved, they will figure out a way to hide what actually happens there. All I can do is keep watching, and I promise I will never stop. The NCDHHS is not making them play by the rules, maybe the people who have been affected can. I will be contacting other people who have lost a loved one at one of these facilities. I hope as a group, we will be able to make NCDHHS do their job and make these places safer. They could make positive changes and still make plenty of money the old fashioned way, by earning it providing the service they advertise! More later.

Today I'm going to be doing more research into some of the issues that I have been writing about. I think it would be intresting to know how a small town doctor like Larry Joe, can have an intrest in so many aspects of health care. Can a doctor possibly avoid a conflict of intrest if he operates or manages, a nursing home, medical lab, several doctors offices, a sleep clinic, and a location that provides durable medical equipment and oxygen ? I am not quite clear on exactly what role Larry Joe has in each, but his name is linked to all of the above.
He is also seeing patients at more than six other nursing homes and  privelages at both local hospitals.
His office shows eight nurse practitioners and two physicans assistants. I guess that explains how he can manage all of his "patients". I wonder how many of the people Larry Joe "sees", even know what he looks like. Or that they may not actually be seeing a physican. I was just wondering?
It wouldn't surprise me if I discovered that he had an association with an ambulance service. If not maybe he should consider it. He sure needs their services a lot. I'm sure that the NCDHHS, NC medical board and everyone else would be ok with that.

More to come

If you have been reading this you may get the impression that this is a personal issue. Well I guess you could say that to some degree. The reason I started writing was to express my frustration with Hendersonville Health and Rehab,NCDHHS, NC Medical Board, NC State medical examiner and (Dr) Larry Joe Russell.
My mother was in Hendersonville Health and Rehab simply to regain her strength, following surgery that she had in early September 2011.
 She had been in ( non) Care Partners in Asheville, then sent home. At home she was not quite strong enough to assist in her daily living needs. She ended up back in Mission Hospital, dehydrated and with painful hemmoroids. She spent a week or so in Mission, and was transferred to Hendersonville Health and Rehab for physical and occupational therapy. During her short stay in Hendersonville Health and Rehab, a member of the family was with her most of the time.The only time we were not there was late night.That is when the horror takes place at Hendersonville Health and Rehab. Several things happened, including a serious fall. We were led to believe that the fall was no big deal.
In preperation for her discharge,my wife and twelve year old son had taken Mom shopping and to the bank. She bought a new pair of jeans to wear home the next day and did her banking business. Then she returned to Hendersonville Health and Rehab for her last night.My brother in law showed up and stayed with her till she went to bed for the night.
The next morning at 5:07 am, I received the phone call that would change my life forever.Moms heart had stopped beating. According to Larry Joe, and there was no apparent reason .My Mother was not sick, nor was she a frail old lady, she was just in there to regain her strength.
After my Mom died, I went to ask Hendersonville Health and Rehab about what might have happened on her last night. I still do not know exactly what happened that night. In my quest for information, I discovered many things that were cause for concern. Following all the proper channels, I set out to find out exactly what had happened. The lack of intrest by all the state agencies (especially NCDHHS) led my brother and I to start our research. What we have found out about nursing homes and rehab centers is extremely alarming.
This blog is the beginning of my attempt to facilitate change in the system and hopefully honor my Mother.By making sure these people are no longer allowed to get rich taking advantage of the elderley and phisically challenged.
My Mom left behind five children and too many grandchildren and great grandchildren to count. She was also a mother to many others who knew her. A bright shining light in the hearts of many who had no one else to care about them.
On November 3, 2011, she passed away. She was supposed to come home that day!

It seems like lawmakers are determined to do as little as they can to protect the seniors in these facilities. I guess they figure if they lower the odds of surviving a stay in one of these places, they can save some money. That, would possibly enable them to get a pay increase.
I recently spoke to a member of the Henderson County Health Department. In our conversation, I mentioned the slack attitude of the NCDHHS regarding nursing homes and how they did not respond to my complaints against Hendersonville Health and Rehab. He proceeded to tell me that at the present the kitchens are inspected three times a year. Then he said that the legislature had passed a bill that would only require them to be inspected once a year.
I have not done my research yet but I suspect that animal shelters are inspected more than once a year. I'm pretty sure the local tatoo parlors get inspected more than once a year as do butcher shops, hotels and hopefully childcare centers. With the current rate of elderly people that rely on nursing homes and assisted living facilities, you would hope someone was watching these people to make sure they are not taking advantage. The only people who seem to be watching these facilities are greedy investors. People like Larry Joe, who see it as easy money.
It is time to speak up against the way our parents and grandparents are being treated. If you have someone in one of these places, dont make the mistake of thinking they are safe. Ask questions, verify that they are receiving their medication as prescribed, and especially talk to them about what happens at night. Look for signs of falls or bruises and check their medication. Someone has to do it, and I can assure you the local government will not keep up their end of the deal. Don't wait till someone you love dies to ask questions. You will never get the true story. Especially from Hendersonville Health and Rehab. I know because I have been trying for six months.

Well today was just another day in the world of nobody cares. It seems that the Republican legislature have passed laws that basically make it impossible to obtain any justice when you are wronged by any medical professional.These laws restrict a persons ability to bring a claim against a health care provider or nursing homein many ways.They have created a hole for these bottom feeding "medical professionals" to crawl in and hide when they screw up.
This would explain the contributions of certain people to the Republican party. They have created a situation where in order to succeed in obtaining justice one needs a medical degree as well as a law degree. These people have a great deal of money and can afford to buy any politician they need to achieve their goals.
The obvious corruption on the State level is nothing compared to the billions at stake on a National level.
As an American citizen it is embarassing that the political parties have put money first and the lives of American Citizens last. We need to stand up and fight while we still have any rights left. The fear of punishment is only a motivator if it is a reality.These people have no fear of any Gonernment agency, they own them.
Look up Senate Bill 33 and you will see how hard it is to make these people acountable for what they do or fail to do! These people make me sick , and they need to be stopped. It's time to stop them while we still can. Please write letters, make phone calls, and as pointless as it seems Vote. Sooner or later we will get someone honest in office that actually has morals, instead of a huge bank account.
People like Larry Joe are small time hoods compared to the likes of people like Gerald P Cox, but it has to start somewhere. If Larry Joe is allowed to continue, he will be the next Gerald Cox. They use our own taxpayer dollars against us.Believe me if you dont care now, you will when you or your loved one is in a facility like Hendersonville Health and Rehab, or any other SanStone operated facility.
It is our responsibility to stop them if we can. The laws are already in place, we need someone who is not in their pocket, or afraid to stop them. More to come!

Today was a day to celebrate mothers. I rejoice in knowing that my mother is in a place where she is no longer suffering. I know she would not want me to sit around and be sad all day.
I woke this morning and lay in bed for a little while remembering my mother and all she meant to my family and I. My Mother died on November 3, 2011. The family went through Thanksgiving, Christmas and several birthdays.Today was her day, and the emptiness was hard to bear.
 She was the one that stood up for all of us, even if we were wrong. Now it is our turn to stand up for her. I will never forget the frustration we have experienced in dealing with the NCDHHS, NC Medical Board, The coroner, Dr Poston and Pardee Hospital. We have tried to go through all the proper channels to get something done. At this point it appears that this kind of thing just goes on all the time. No one seems to be alarmed that these people dont follow the rules. The NCDHHS is supposed to be there to represent the people. It is obvious to me in this situation, that SanStone is above the authority of NCDHHS. It could have something to do with one of the members of the comittee in charge(Gerald P Cox), owns nursing homes himself, and is affilliated with the largest healthcare system in the Carolinas. This is just another example of how Gov. Bev Perdue operates. She certainly wont get any votes from my family.
Check out who contributes to who at     http://www.opensecrets.org/

I hope that what I am writing is helping someone somewhere. I know that elderly folks die, that is a fact. I also know that death certificates state a cause of death, sometimes this would be obvious to anyone. Even Larry Joe gets it right some of the time. However a lot of the time they are wrong.
Just say that if you owned a facility, and something happened that could have caused the death of one of your residents. Wouldn't it be convenient to be a major contributor to the hospital where the body was sent. Nobody would question the cause of death, and would certainly not do or say anything that would keep you from sending in that check.
I asked Larry Joe to order an autopsy, he told me he would look into it. I never heard back from him. At the time I didn't know how cozy he was with Pardee Hospital, nor did I know that he was one of the owners of Hendersonville Health and Rehab. There are a lot of things that I know now that would have caused me to get my Mother out of there.
 Lots of strange things happen there at night, and they mysteriously don't end up in the nurses notes. Sometimes they appear in the files up to a month after the resident dies. Gail Maloney the Western Regional Director of NCDHHS ( the people who oversee these facilities) didn't see a problem with that. Even her boss Beverly Speirhoff thought this was ok. Maybe they were invited to the golf tournament at Kenmure?
When we met with Ms Maloney, we went over lots of things that anyone could see were "red flags" but she really didn't seem to find them out of the ordinary. That scares me, and causes concern for the residents still in that facility. I gave her a list of questions that I needed answers for in able to put this to rest. Neither Gail Maloney nor Hendersonville Health and Rehab have answered any of these questions. I asked Gail Maloney, what they did with the ativan that was supposedly prescribed to Mom, her reply was "they probably just put them back" There was no record that she was ever given any, and according to their own regulations ( which Ms. Maloney does not seem to familiar with) these types of medication must be destroyed with witnesses. Kind of makes you wonder who's watching out for our seniors.

My Mother died on the day she was supposed to come home.

This time last year I was out shopping for a card and something to let my Mother know how special she was to my family and I. This year all the ads and news clips about mothers day bring me to tears. I lost my Mother on November 3, 2011. She was at Hendersonville Health and Rehab for physical therapy and to gain back her strength after a surgery in September. She was doing better than she had done since the surgery.
The morning she was supposed to come home, I got a call at 5:07 am with a nurse telling me she was not breathing. She told me they were trying to recussitate her. I immediatly drove over to Hendersonville Health and Rehab. I went in, and to the nurses station on her hall. The nurse on her hall told me she had been transported to Pardee Hospital. I immediatly drove to Pardee, where I arrived in time to see them taking her from the ambulance. I went into the emergency room and was told that she had just arrived and was told to take a seat in the ER. I called my wife and son to come there. It seemed like forever till they came and brought me back to the little room with a table, chair and couch. There was one nurse and one doctor present. They told me that Mom had passed. Time stood still as I kept hearing those words over and over again. When I was able I asked them to bring my wife and son back, and we all cried together. The rest of the family were there in about an hour. It was the worst day of my life so far.How could this happen on the day she was supposed to come home?
In the days preceeding her funeral lots of questions were brought up about what happened. I have spoken to the nurses at Hendersonville Health and Rehab, the county and State medical examiners, Mom's doctors, (the surgeon tried to get an autopsy done ) he couldn't believe she had passed. Her regular doctor said he couldn't believe it either. When he found out the supposed cause of death, he said he had recently examined her and there was nothing wrong with her heart!
After hearing all of this I went to Hendersonville Health and Rehab and spoke to the Director of nursing, Susan Habel, and the assistant director of nursing. They told me a story and had the nurse that was on duty that morning, Tammy Mace RN come tell me what she could to ease my mind. I felt like someone was lying about something. I went to the EMS and obtained a copy of their report and it did not exactly match the story I had been told by Hendersonville Health and Rehab.
Next I went through all the steps to be appointed as the administrator of Moms estate just so I could access her medical records. When I got them from Hendersonville Health and Rehab the director, Cookie Romeo met me and definatly had an attitude towords me .
The whole family sat and looked at them and that just led to more questions and suspicions. Most of the forms had the wrong room number on them. There were hand written notes and printed notes it was like a nightmare. Most veternarians keep better records.
All I can think is She was supposed to come home that day!

Hendersonville Health and Rehab used to belong to Pardee Hospital, I believe it was called Pardee pavillion. It was sold because of the regulations enforced on hospital owned facilities were too strict. I'm sure those regulations would require more staffing and enforcement of proper procedures, that would eventually save peoples lives. However it was not profitable, so they sold it to a bunch of profeteers, who cut staff and services to become profitable.
They (SanStone) are so profitable that they can sponsor a fundraiser golf tournament at Kenmure Country Club benefitting Pardee Hospital. All the while they are out playing golf, the poor residents of theese facilities are suffering because of the lack of staff. While the owners of theese facilities are thriving, the residents are dying from "failure to thrive" (according to Dr. Larry Joe Russell). Larry Joe also contributes to Pardee under more than one of his local business.This probably explains why I was unable to get an autopsy preformed by Pardee to determine the true cause of my Mothers death.
I'm sure that there is an area between loosing money, and hanging out at Kenmure and flying around in private jets. There are many single unit facilities that score better ratings wiyh medicare and the public than big groups like SanStone. They are obviously making money or they would be closed.
Someone needs to hold these facilities responsible for what they are doing to our senior citizens. Rest assured that someone is not the NCDHHS. From my experience with them it sure looks like they are somehow being compensated to look the other way as our seniors are dying in these homes.
We took doccumented proof to the regional director (Gail Maloney) that they are not following regulations, and were told there were no violatios found, it smells foul. I even called her supervisor (Beverley Speirhoff) and basically got the same response. These people are getting paid to ensure that these facilities are up to standards and they are not doing their jobs. It's time for the public to know what is going on. If you want to do something about this, contact your political representitives. Any comments?

Todays local paper listed nine obituaries. I would be willing to bet that Dr. Larry Joe Russell will be busy signing death certificates this morning. One of them occurred at The Laurels of Hendersonville, where Larry Joe is the medical director and a couple more were at the Elizabeth House which is directly behind Hendersonville Health and Rehab. And one occurred at another local nursing home where Larry Joe also sees patients.
I strongly urge that anyone who has lost a loved one at one of theese facilities, to look into how that person died. If something doesn't look right as far as Larry Joe is concerned, file a complaint with the NC Medical Board. It's real easy to do. Here's the link.

http://imp.ncmedboard.org/consumer_resources/complaint_process/

Just remember, if it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck and walks like a duck, it's probably a duck!

Now lets get down to what goes on at NCDHHS. We found out from their website that they were in Hendersonville Health and Rehab doing an investigation of a complaint that was filed by someone else on November 2, 2011.This was while Mom was still in there. It seems kind of strange that they didn't find anything to substantiate that complaint either. Then in December, Hendersonville Health and Rehab had their recertification inspection and who would think that they actually found most of the things we had complained about. All that means to them is they have to retrain or change a policy or two, or at least say they will and nothing happens.
Our complaint was on January 19. And of course no substantiated claims were found thats what led to a meeting with Gail Maloney at the Western Region office of the NCDHHS in Black Mountain.

When we met with Gail Maloney Western regional director of NCDHHS, I started by showing her a page from the nurses notes that said one thing and a sworn statement from someone who witnessed the event, that said something totally opposite. She said that was word against word.Only our persons "word" was notarized. Then we showed her some of the records that had the wrong room number, Including her admission form and the pharmacy sheet.This was no big deal to her either. We proceeded to show her nurses notes that were wrong, and the medication records were innacurate. Again no big deal to Ms. Maloney. It appears as if nothing were a big deal to her.I guess NCDHHS regulations only matter if the resident doesn't die. Most of what we showed her that day was against their regulations, however after an " administrative review" of what we took to them we still got the no deficiences found letter.
 This sure leads me to think that someone at NCDHHS is getting money and favors to not find any deficiencies, at least at Hendersonville Health and Rehab. I'm sure there's enough money being made that the same applies to any SanStone property.
Check out for yourself some of the investigations. Scroll down to Henderson County and check ot Hendersonville Health and Rehab.
http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dhsr/facilities/results.asp

Now check out the corruption at the top levels of NCDHHS
http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/ethics_complaint_filed_against_dhhs_secretary

I'm still amazed how many people die at Hendersonville Health and Rehab. They lost another one last night. Is this the sign of successful Health and Rehab? Just because someone is considered to be "old" doesn't mean they should just die. I spent some time in the courthouse researching death certificates, and concentrating on Dr Larry Joe Russell of Hendersonville. I was amazed at how many people died from "failure to thrive" according to Dr. Russell.
It is my opinion that people are in Rehab facilities because they are not "thriving"at home. When i looked up "failure to thrive" most of the references were to infants.I did see some refrences to the elderly so I guess this is a legitimate cause of death, and apparently, a lot of DR.Larry Joe Russels patients fail to thrive.
Some of this may be due to the fact that theese facilities are so understaffed.
My mother was supposed to get help with meals, simply because she could not see her plate. Other than family members I never saw anyone assist her with meals. It was all you could do at SanStones Hendersonville Health and Rehab to get a nurse or cna to help with basic needs. Sometimes in the morning I would assist my Mother into the restroom and push the call button for someone to help her back to bed, most days I would end up helping her myself or if I was lucky I could find a nurse or cna that wasn't to busy!
SanStone should spend less on the grounds, which are beautifully landscaped and manicured, and more on staff to actually provide the service that they advertise and charge for. Dont be fooled by the "ice cream parlor" it is no indication of the level of care they fail to provide.
If anyone else has lost a family member at one of SanStones facilities, send me a message and maybe we can form a support group. We might have trouble finding a place big enough to meet, but we can try.

SanStone properties spend a lot of money on advertising on WLOS Channel 13. Funny how all the people in the commercials say how wonderful theese properties are. Based on reviews noted on nursing home review websites, they really aren't that great. Check out some of theese complaints and ratings.
http://memberofthefamily.net/registry/nc.htm
 Then look at the fines levied by DHHS
http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dhsr/acls/adultcarepenalties.html#Henderson
Most of the homes that were fined are smaller single operators they obviously cant afford whatever the NCDHHS requires to keep them from getting fined. Rest assured that theese chain facilities are raking in the money and would have no problem greasing someones palm to get what they want!
SanStone operates Hendersonville Health and Rehab which has a  rating of one out of five stars. SanStone also operates Beystone Health and Rehab in Fletcher NC. which also has a  rating of one of five stars. SanStone also operates Stonecreek in Asheville, which fared a little better. SanStone  also operates three more facilities, Madison Health and Rehab in Mars Hill, Oak Forest in Winston Salem and Sanford Health and Rehab.
If you read the reviews they seem to all be short staffed and poor quality. There are definately better places to go than a SanStone property. If you need this type of facility, do your research first. If you have a family member in one of theese facilities just watch out for them. We were there almost all of the time except for late nights. We trusted them to care for our mother and she is now gone. If only i knew then what i've learned since,  she never would have been there!

Well it looks like they lost another patient at Hendersonville Health and Rehab last night . To them it's just another empty bed but to someone it is a family member who will be missed. This is all to common, just look at the Times News every day. They loose a couple a week on average. Funny how you dont see all the other health and rehab centers in there all the time, makes you wonder what they are doing differently. The DHHS doesn't seem to care that they have such a high death rate. They cant seem to find any defficiencies. MAYBE ITS BECAUSE SOMEONE CONNECTED TO THIS PARTICULAR FACILITY IS ON THE COMMITTEE THAT LICENCES THEESE FACILITIES. Look at a MR. Gerald P. Cox he happens to own his own chain of homes, called Autumn Care. You would think this is like the fox watching the hen house. If i'm not mistaken he was appointed by Beverley Purdue. I'm sure he did not contribute to her campaign at all. Check for yourself at open secrets.com