I have been writing this blog for almost two years. I have not always been nice in what I have said about some of the people involved. Let me explain what has taken place in that time.
During Mom's brief stay at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, there were several issues with the care she was receiving. At the time, she was doing well with her therapy, and eating more than she had been. The benefits seemed to outweigh our concerns. These people are very good at using human emotions to deceive the relatives of their residents.
A large percent of the "patients " in these type places, have no choice. They require much more care than the families can provide. There comes a time, when there is no choice but to seek "professional" help. This is not something most people are experienced at. How do you decide which facility to trust with your loved one? There are plenty of websites that post reviews, most of them are " sponsored ", by the homes themselves. Then there is Medicare.gov, the governments nursing home rating site. This site has a star rating system, just like the other ones do. The problem with that, is there stars are given, based on NCDHHS inspections. The NCDHHS is not very aggressive at finding things wrong. I have the results of a NCDHHS "investigation", and there are places where it contradicts itself. The problem is that these places are so profitable, they can make sure they get a favorable rating.
When you have to make the decision to put someone you love into a nursing home, you want to believe that they are getting the care they need. You see the commercials on television, a happy older person telling how great the place is.
Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, is run by SanStone Health and Rehabilitation The ads for SanStone end with the phrase " SanStone , our passion makes the difference ". Sounds like the kind of place I would want to send my Mom . Well, if you look below the surface, it is hardly that kind of place. Medicare.gov, gives them two stars, out of five, below average. Keep in mind, that is based on those NCDHHS investigations. You can read the results of those investigations at Medicare.gov.
Here is how it works. The facility is inspected by the NCDHHS, and they find violations. To be in compliance, the facility simply has to say they will correct them. The response is written as follows
"Facility name requests to have this plan of correction serve as our written allegation of compliance.
Preparation and/or execution of this plan of correction does not constitute admission to nor agreement with either the existence of, or scope and severity of any of the cited deficiencies, or conclusions set forth in the statement of deficiencies. This plan of correction is prepared and executed to ensure continuing compliance with Federal and State regulatory laws."
So in other words, we don't admit to doing anything wrong, but if we did we would fix it by doing this______. We are only doing this to keep sucking the Medicare and Medicaid dollars. All they have to do is say they will correct something, and that's it!
I am in the restaurant business, when the health inspector comes in, I get a point score based on what they find wrong. Serious violations, have to be corrected immediately. I would like to think that anyone providing healthcare would be more accountable than a restaurant.
This is the reason I began writing this blog. The operators of nursing homes, and the NCDHHS, need to take these issues more seriously. They need to have more control over the care the patients are receiving. My goal is to help make a difference.
I hope that some of the things I mention, will help someone who has to choose a nursing home. Be ware of what you are told and ask questions. If you have a family member in a nursing home, don't make the mistake of thinking they are safe. For example in one month this year, Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation had an average of more than two deaths a week. I am focusing on Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, simply because I have records from there. I have done considerable research, and they are pretty much all the Same. There are some out there that have one star, yet they are still allowed to participate in Medicare and Medicaid.
There are non profit nursing homes, most are run by some religious organization. They generally have more staff and better training than the for profit homes. For profit homes, make their money, by understaffing. SanStone, list's Christopher Sprenger and Michal Deloach as owners, and managing employees at their facilities. In some industries, that would be called double dipping!
I'm sure there are good nursing homes out there, I'm also sure they are not SanStone properties. If you are looking for a nursing home, good luck. Just don't believe anything they tell you, and make them do their job! More later.
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