Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, Flat Rock NC. SanStone Health and Rehabilitation, Dr. Larry Joe Russell, Dr. Harold Picus, Susan Habel RN., Lara Mooney LPN, Maud " Cookie" Romeo, Christopher Sprenger, Mike Deloach, Paul Shogren.
I have spent the last few days writing about what has taken place over the last two years. Mom died November 3' 2011, following a craniotomy that was done by Dr. Harold Picus, on September 7,2011 at Mission Hospital in Asheville NC. Dr. Harold Picus , left North Carolina and is now practicing in the Miami area.
Mom was sent to Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation on October 20, 2011, for physical and occupational therapy. Her doctor at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation was a Dr. Larry Joe Russell. Dr. Russell is the medical director at the Laurels in Hendersonville NC. He is also the doctor at all the nursing homes in Hendersonville NC. He also has an ownership interest in Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. If you find yourself at one of these nursing homes, and your doctor sent you there for rehab, you end up with Dr. Russell. Dr. Russell also owns Family Medical Center at 510 Balsam Rd. in Hendersonville NC. He has a staff of physicians and nurse practitioners, that actually see his patients. He has very little if any professional ethics, and is motivated strictly by money. If he is your doctor, double check your bills, and your medications.
The ownership at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, also includes the owners of Blue Ridge Pharmacy. Blue Ridge Pharmacy provides the pharmacy consultant for Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. Blue Ridge Pharmacy also supplies all the pharmaceutical drugs at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. Hardly seems legal to me, but I've yet to find any law enforcement agency or regulatory agency that has a problem with it .I even went so far as to call the NC Attorney General's office, (Roy Cooper). They didn't have any problem with it, and come election time, I said I wouldn't vote for Mr. Cooper. Turns out there was no one running against him.
All of this may not seem important to the average person, and two years ago would not have mattered to me. When you loose someone you love for the sake of the almighty dollar, life changes.
This is very important, especially if you are dealing with Dr. Russell or SanStone. However, with the research my brother and I have done, it is standard procedure pretty much everywhere with the exception of California. On the West Coast , the people who are supposed to be protecting the public from these kind of abuse are actually doing their jobs.
The NCDHHS is the governing authority here and they are a joke. There is plenty of evidence that there standard operating procedure, is to turn their heads. They never seem to find any substantiated complaints, and the standard response to their yearly inspections is " deficiencies corrected ". One home in Swannanoa NC had 101 pages of deficiencies found at their last inspection. According to the NCDHHS, all of those deficiencies were corrected. My brother and I visited a friends father at that facility, and saw some of the same things happening, that had supposedly been corrected.
I have begun every post with a list of names, I will list below who is who and what is there role in this story.
Dr. Harold Picus - Mom's surgeon, preformed craniotomy on Sept 7, 2011. Now practicing in Miami Fl.
Dr. Larry Joe Russell - Supposed to have been Mom's doctor at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. Never seen in her room, signed the death certificate, part owner of HHR. Signs a lot of death certificates.
Susan Habel RN - Director of nursing at Hendersonville Health and rehabilitation during Mom's stay . Left HHR after we started asking questions.
Lara Mooney LPN - Nurse on duty when Mom fell. Disciplined a few years ago by NC Board of Nursing, for practicing without a valid license. Lied on nursing note about the fall. Note entered into records one month after Moms death .
Mike Deloach - Part owner, and employee of all SanStone properties.
Christopher Sprenger - Part owner, and employee of all of SanStone properties. Member of the Sprenger family of Lorraine Ohio, owners of nursing homes all over.
Paul Shogren - Current administrator at HHR, also found to have ownership interest in other homes. Past administrator of The Laurels in Hendersonville.
Maude "Cookie" Romeo - Administrator at HHR during Mom's stay. Not a very nice person, promoted to corporate position at SanStone. No longer at HHR.
There are more key players yet to be mentioned. More to come.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Who is SanStone Health and Rehabilitation
Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, Flat Rock NC. SanStone Health and Rehabilitation, Dr. Larry Joe Russell, Dr. Harold Picus, Susan Habel RN., Lara Mooney LPN, Maud " Cookie" Romeo, Christopher Sprenger, Mike Deloach, Paul Shogren.
In the last post, I named the principals of SanStone Health and Rehabilitation. Christopher Sprenger and Michael Deloach. They are also owners and employees of Beystone in Hendersonville, Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, Madison Health and Rehabilitation in Mars Hill, Oak Forest Health and Rehabilitation in Winston Salem, Stone Creek Health and Rehabilitation in Asheville, and Sanford Health and Rehabilitation in Sanford. All of these facilities operate under the SanStone umbrella. Although we found an article on Sprenger health care in Ohio, that says they bought two new properties in North Carolina, Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation and Stone Creek Health and Rehabilitation. Yet another article from the Times News in Hendersonville NC, states that Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation was purchased by a group of local doctors. It says that the deal was handled by none other than Dr. Larry Joe Russell. Dr. Russell does not even show up on the ownership information anywhere. Does the Times News really know what they are writing, or do they just write what they are told to write.
The Sprenger family started in the nursing home business in 1959 in Lorraine Ohio. They have been involved in Grace Healthcare and Sprenger Healthcare. There is also a Gordon Sprenger that was involved with Allina Healthcare. Allina Healthcare got so big they were broken up by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Looks like they are at it again in the Appalachians. Where is the Securities and Exchange Commission now. These people buy these places, go in and cut the staff levels to dangerous levels. They also list themselves as employees at all of their facilities. Do you think they actually work at any of these nursing homes, or maybe they just cash their paychecks. They are taking lots of money out of their properties, leaving the "patients" without proper care.
We have wondered for some time what attracted the Sprenger mob to our area. I guess they were getting to big in Ohio. There are other large nursing home companies located in Ohio also. What do Ohio and North Carolina have to offer these crooks. Is it easier to buy politicians in Ohio and North Carolina ? Are the licensing and regulatory agencies more subject to the influence of their money. Whatever the reason is, I'm not so sure I like their style of business.
There is also a gentleman on the North Carolina Medical Care Commission, named Gerald Cox, who seems to be involved with them. The North Carolina Medical Care Commissions function is to provide grant money for construction and equipment used in nursing homes and hospitals . They are actually under the umbrella of the NCDHHS. Kind of looks like letting the fox watch the henhouse.
Just a tidbit of background, more to come!
In the last post, I named the principals of SanStone Health and Rehabilitation. Christopher Sprenger and Michael Deloach. They are also owners and employees of Beystone in Hendersonville, Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, Madison Health and Rehabilitation in Mars Hill, Oak Forest Health and Rehabilitation in Winston Salem, Stone Creek Health and Rehabilitation in Asheville, and Sanford Health and Rehabilitation in Sanford. All of these facilities operate under the SanStone umbrella. Although we found an article on Sprenger health care in Ohio, that says they bought two new properties in North Carolina, Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation and Stone Creek Health and Rehabilitation. Yet another article from the Times News in Hendersonville NC, states that Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation was purchased by a group of local doctors. It says that the deal was handled by none other than Dr. Larry Joe Russell. Dr. Russell does not even show up on the ownership information anywhere. Does the Times News really know what they are writing, or do they just write what they are told to write.
The Sprenger family started in the nursing home business in 1959 in Lorraine Ohio. They have been involved in Grace Healthcare and Sprenger Healthcare. There is also a Gordon Sprenger that was involved with Allina Healthcare. Allina Healthcare got so big they were broken up by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Looks like they are at it again in the Appalachians. Where is the Securities and Exchange Commission now. These people buy these places, go in and cut the staff levels to dangerous levels. They also list themselves as employees at all of their facilities. Do you think they actually work at any of these nursing homes, or maybe they just cash their paychecks. They are taking lots of money out of their properties, leaving the "patients" without proper care.
We have wondered for some time what attracted the Sprenger mob to our area. I guess they were getting to big in Ohio. There are other large nursing home companies located in Ohio also. What do Ohio and North Carolina have to offer these crooks. Is it easier to buy politicians in Ohio and North Carolina ? Are the licensing and regulatory agencies more subject to the influence of their money. Whatever the reason is, I'm not so sure I like their style of business.
There is also a gentleman on the North Carolina Medical Care Commission, named Gerald Cox, who seems to be involved with them. The North Carolina Medical Care Commissions function is to provide grant money for construction and equipment used in nursing homes and hospitals . They are actually under the umbrella of the NCDHHS. Kind of looks like letting the fox watch the henhouse.
Just a tidbit of background, more to come!
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
The battle begins, dealing with NCDHHS
Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, Flat Rock NC. SanStone Health and Rehabilitation, Dr. Larry Joe Russell, Dr. Harold Picus, Susan Habel RN., Lara Mooney LPN, Maud " Cookie" Romeo, Christopher Sprenger, Mike Deloach, Paul Shogren.
After getting a copy of Mom's records from Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, our suspicions were intensified. The actual admission document had the wrong room # (102A) and for some reason was faxed over from Pine Park Retirement Center. The drug regimen sheet also had the wrong room number. There was a nurses note concerning the fall, it was labeled a late entry. The date on the nurses note was December 1, 2011, and was signed by Lara Mooney LPN.
The note stated that Lara Mooney LPN, was standing in the doorway and watched Mom remove the clip on alarm, and try to stand. Ms. Mooney then states that Mom "slid" out of bed, and scratched her arm on the bed. First of all Mom would not try to get up by herself, with a nurse standing in the doorway. If you were standing in the doorway, you would be at the foot of Mom's bed. It would be about a total of five steps to get to the side of the bed.
Mom's roommate at the time told a different story. According to the roommate, she was awakened in the middle of the night by Mom, crying out for help. She said that Mom was lying face down in the floor, the roommate pulled the call string and waited. She goes on to say that she eventually heard voices in the hall. She called out to them and two CNA's came into the room. They then called the nurse on duty. The nurse on duty told the CNA's to take Mom's vital signs, and get her back in bed . The roommate signed her statement and had it notarized. It wasn't until later that I noticed on one of the shower records, that the scratch was on the same side as Moms surgery.
That was just the beginning of what led us to here. My brother's wife, used to work with medical records. We all met at the house, and went over each page of the medical records from Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. There were few pages that didn't have a yellow sticky note calling attention to something wrong.
The next step was to call the NCDHHS and file a complaint against Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. They appeared very concerned on the phone as I rattled off the problems we had found. My brother filed a complaint as well. It took a little over a month to get a response from NCDHHS. We both got the response on the same day. Both of our complaints were "unsubstantiated" by the NCDHHS. I called the Western regional office of NCDHHS and told them that was unacceptable. I scheduled a meeting with the Western regional director, Gail Maloney to discuss the things we had found. I gave her a list of items along with a copy of the signed affidavit from the roommate. She assured us that they would do a review of the inspection along with the information we gave them. The last time I called their office, Ms Maloney was no longer there.
Here is something that seems a little strange. Jennifer Thomas the records clerk at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation left soon after our meeting. Gail Maloney, the Western regional director of NCDHHS, retired, soon after our meeting. Lara Mooney LPN, got fired from Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, last known working at Fleishers Fairview healthcare. Maude " Cookie " Romeo, the administrator at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, promoted to a corporate position with SanStone Health and Rehabilitation.
SanStone Health and Rehabilitation is a shell company, that isn't even listed on the NC Secretary of State corporations website. The company address is a box at a FedEx office on Airport road. The principals are Christopher Sprenger and Michael Deloach.
More on SanStone and the Sprengers to follow.
After getting a copy of Mom's records from Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, our suspicions were intensified. The actual admission document had the wrong room # (102A) and for some reason was faxed over from Pine Park Retirement Center. The drug regimen sheet also had the wrong room number. There was a nurses note concerning the fall, it was labeled a late entry. The date on the nurses note was December 1, 2011, and was signed by Lara Mooney LPN.
The note stated that Lara Mooney LPN, was standing in the doorway and watched Mom remove the clip on alarm, and try to stand. Ms. Mooney then states that Mom "slid" out of bed, and scratched her arm on the bed. First of all Mom would not try to get up by herself, with a nurse standing in the doorway. If you were standing in the doorway, you would be at the foot of Mom's bed. It would be about a total of five steps to get to the side of the bed.
Mom's roommate at the time told a different story. According to the roommate, she was awakened in the middle of the night by Mom, crying out for help. She said that Mom was lying face down in the floor, the roommate pulled the call string and waited. She goes on to say that she eventually heard voices in the hall. She called out to them and two CNA's came into the room. They then called the nurse on duty. The nurse on duty told the CNA's to take Mom's vital signs, and get her back in bed . The roommate signed her statement and had it notarized. It wasn't until later that I noticed on one of the shower records, that the scratch was on the same side as Moms surgery.
That was just the beginning of what led us to here. My brother's wife, used to work with medical records. We all met at the house, and went over each page of the medical records from Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. There were few pages that didn't have a yellow sticky note calling attention to something wrong.
The next step was to call the NCDHHS and file a complaint against Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. They appeared very concerned on the phone as I rattled off the problems we had found. My brother filed a complaint as well. It took a little over a month to get a response from NCDHHS. We both got the response on the same day. Both of our complaints were "unsubstantiated" by the NCDHHS. I called the Western regional office of NCDHHS and told them that was unacceptable. I scheduled a meeting with the Western regional director, Gail Maloney to discuss the things we had found. I gave her a list of items along with a copy of the signed affidavit from the roommate. She assured us that they would do a review of the inspection along with the information we gave them. The last time I called their office, Ms Maloney was no longer there.
Here is something that seems a little strange. Jennifer Thomas the records clerk at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation left soon after our meeting. Gail Maloney, the Western regional director of NCDHHS, retired, soon after our meeting. Lara Mooney LPN, got fired from Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, last known working at Fleishers Fairview healthcare. Maude " Cookie " Romeo, the administrator at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, promoted to a corporate position with SanStone Health and Rehabilitation.
SanStone Health and Rehabilitation is a shell company, that isn't even listed on the NC Secretary of State corporations website. The company address is a box at a FedEx office on Airport road. The principals are Christopher Sprenger and Michael Deloach.
More on SanStone and the Sprengers to follow.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, what are you hiding
Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, Flat Rock NC. SanStone Health and Rehabilitation, Dr. Larry Joe Russell, Dr. Harold Picus, Susan Habel RN., Lara Mooney LPN, Maud " Cookie" Romeo, Christopher Sprenger, Mike Deloach, Paul Shogren.
Mom was gone , my heart was hurting for myself and my family. My soul was rejoicing that Mom had moved on from the struggles of this world. As a Christian, I knew that Mom was somewhere better. That thought was the only comfort that I could find.
In the following days, my sister and her family arrived from Atlanta, and all the brothers and sisters were here. My house was the central gathering place where we would eat, and begin to plan the funeral service. My sister and I had to go to the mortuary and make the arrangements to have Mom cremated, signing that paper was quite difficult for both of us. As we were planning the funeral, we would sit around and talk about what happened. Several things did not make any sense, and the story from Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation was inconsistent.
Mom passed on a Thursday, and the following Monday when I returned to work, I visited Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, to get the whole story. I met with Susan Habel RN, the director of nursing, and Tammy Mace RN, the nurse that found Mom that morning. The story was a little bit different than the original one, and the timeframe didn't add up. I went home, and as I told the rest of the family what I had been told, it only added to the list of questions.
After the funeral, I was unable to make any sense out of what I had been told about Moms passing, that's when it all began.
The first place I went was the EMS office, where they provided me with the call sheet, and all the information they had. Again, the times were inconsistent with what I had been told by the staff at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. The next stop was the emergency room at Pardee Hospital, where I waited patiently for a long time. Finally I approached the desk, and began asking questions of the attendant in my not so quiet voice. I was immediately taken back to the same "family" room I had been in just days before. I was met by the emergency room charge nurse on duty that shift. She was comforting, and listened to my questions.
I had Mom's death certificate and it was signed by Dr. Larry Joe Russell. I was confused why the Er. physician Dr. Boleman didn't sign it. This was the first time I had ever heard of Dr. Russell. According to the nurse, he was Moms doctor at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. Not one family member had ever heard of or met Dr.Russell.
The cause of death was listed as " acute coronary arrhythmia " . There were no contributing factors. The nurse did her best to explain how things worked, and who does what. She was gong to check Mom's records for more information. She left the room to get the records from the ER visit. When she returned, she told me the records had been sent to the records room. The next day I went to the records room, and was told that I had to have legal authority to obtain the records. I also called the medical examiner that was on duty November 3, 2011, Dr. Loken. I asked him what tests were done to determine the cause of death. He told me he did not see Mom, but felt he should have. He was on call and never received a call.
The next step was getting my brother and three sisters to sign a court document to give me the authority . Finally, on December 14,2011, I became the administrator of Mom's estate. This gave me authority to request Moms records from Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, and Pardee hospital.
When I requested the records from Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, the records clerk, Jennifer Thomas told me she would copy them, and call me when I could pick them up. She called about an hour later and said she had them copied, and I could come get them. When I arrived at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, I was greeted by Maude " Cookie " Romeo, the administrator. She told me that the records were being sent from the corporate office in Biltmore Park, and I would have to come back.
Later that afternoon I received a call that I could come get the records. When I got there, I met Jennifer Thomas and she gave me the "sanitized" records from the corporate office. I asked her why she didn't just give me the copies that she had made earlier. Ms. Thomas informed me that she was told not to give me the records she had copied because that would be a waste of paper. This made no sense at all, she had already made the copies. What was the difference in the two sets of records ? The next time I called the records room, Jennifer Thomas was no longer working there.
All of this was making me wonder what they didn't want me to see. If you don't have anything to hide, why try so hard to hide something?
More to come tomorrow. Yes it gets worse.
Mom was gone , my heart was hurting for myself and my family. My soul was rejoicing that Mom had moved on from the struggles of this world. As a Christian, I knew that Mom was somewhere better. That thought was the only comfort that I could find.
In the following days, my sister and her family arrived from Atlanta, and all the brothers and sisters were here. My house was the central gathering place where we would eat, and begin to plan the funeral service. My sister and I had to go to the mortuary and make the arrangements to have Mom cremated, signing that paper was quite difficult for both of us. As we were planning the funeral, we would sit around and talk about what happened. Several things did not make any sense, and the story from Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation was inconsistent.
Mom passed on a Thursday, and the following Monday when I returned to work, I visited Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, to get the whole story. I met with Susan Habel RN, the director of nursing, and Tammy Mace RN, the nurse that found Mom that morning. The story was a little bit different than the original one, and the timeframe didn't add up. I went home, and as I told the rest of the family what I had been told, it only added to the list of questions.
After the funeral, I was unable to make any sense out of what I had been told about Moms passing, that's when it all began.
The first place I went was the EMS office, where they provided me with the call sheet, and all the information they had. Again, the times were inconsistent with what I had been told by the staff at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. The next stop was the emergency room at Pardee Hospital, where I waited patiently for a long time. Finally I approached the desk, and began asking questions of the attendant in my not so quiet voice. I was immediately taken back to the same "family" room I had been in just days before. I was met by the emergency room charge nurse on duty that shift. She was comforting, and listened to my questions.
I had Mom's death certificate and it was signed by Dr. Larry Joe Russell. I was confused why the Er. physician Dr. Boleman didn't sign it. This was the first time I had ever heard of Dr. Russell. According to the nurse, he was Moms doctor at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. Not one family member had ever heard of or met Dr.Russell.
The cause of death was listed as " acute coronary arrhythmia " . There were no contributing factors. The nurse did her best to explain how things worked, and who does what. She was gong to check Mom's records for more information. She left the room to get the records from the ER visit. When she returned, she told me the records had been sent to the records room. The next day I went to the records room, and was told that I had to have legal authority to obtain the records. I also called the medical examiner that was on duty November 3, 2011, Dr. Loken. I asked him what tests were done to determine the cause of death. He told me he did not see Mom, but felt he should have. He was on call and never received a call.
The next step was getting my brother and three sisters to sign a court document to give me the authority . Finally, on December 14,2011, I became the administrator of Mom's estate. This gave me authority to request Moms records from Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, and Pardee hospital.
When I requested the records from Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, the records clerk, Jennifer Thomas told me she would copy them, and call me when I could pick them up. She called about an hour later and said she had them copied, and I could come get them. When I arrived at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, I was greeted by Maude " Cookie " Romeo, the administrator. She told me that the records were being sent from the corporate office in Biltmore Park, and I would have to come back.
Later that afternoon I received a call that I could come get the records. When I got there, I met Jennifer Thomas and she gave me the "sanitized" records from the corporate office. I asked her why she didn't just give me the copies that she had made earlier. Ms. Thomas informed me that she was told not to give me the records she had copied because that would be a waste of paper. This made no sense at all, she had already made the copies. What was the difference in the two sets of records ? The next time I called the records room, Jennifer Thomas was no longer working there.
All of this was making me wonder what they didn't want me to see. If you don't have anything to hide, why try so hard to hide something?
More to come tomorrow. Yes it gets worse.
Monday, September 16, 2013
How it all began part three
Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, Flat Rock NC. SanStone Health and Rehabilitation, Dr. Larry Joe Russell, Dr. Harold Picus, Susan Habel RN., Lara Mooney LPN, Maud " Cookie" Romeo, Christopher Sprenger, Mike Deloach, Paul Shogren.
I left off describing the conditions and problems we had with Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. I will pick up where I left off.
The staff levels are so low, that if not for the family, Mom would have been in bad shape. We were there to help her with her meals,as the surgery had caused her eyesight to deteriorate. She was able to eat fine, she just couldn't see her food. The issues with call bells was ongoing.On one occasion, Mom had asked my brother to make sure she got a shower. She said she was starting to smell kind of ripe. My brother found one of the CNA's and asked for Mom to get a shower. The CNA promised to get Mom a shower, but she had six people in front of her. While visiting one morning, Mom's roommate informed me that Mom had left the room the night before. She was trying to get to the bathroom and as was the normal no one answered the call bell. The nurse on duty confirmed that Mom was going down the hallway, using her meal tray as a walker. At the time, Mom made a joke about it, and we just assumed that they were watching out for her.
On my visit the morning of October 30, the roommate told me that Mom had fallen the night before. As was usual, Mom made light of the fall. She said that it felt like someone had "filled her shoes with shit" and slid her across the floor. It didn't seem significant at the time, and Mom seemed to only suffer a cut on her arm.
After the fall, Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation decided that Mom had reached her goals and was ready to go home. There was some confusion on her release date, but she was to be discharged on November 3, 2011.
On Halloween night , Mom insisted we get her candy to hand out to anyone who came trick or treating. All of the grand children visited, and Mom had her candy to give out. My son was talking about a haunted house that we had been to that week. Mom said that you should be in her room at night, you could hear people begging for help, moaning and screaming. She made a joke of it, and with only two more days to her discharge, the family didn't make a big deal of it.
Mom continued to get her strength back. I would visit in the afternoon, and the therapist would tell her to do ten, Mom would do 15. She really couldn't wait to get home. Her roommate was sent home, and a new roommate came in. Not much out of the ordinary happened in the next two days.
On Wednesday, November 2, my wife and son picked Mom up from Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. She wanted to go to the bank, and get her finances straightened out. Mom also wanted to go shopping, for a new pair of jeans to wear home the next morning.
The next morning, November 3, 2011, I had gotten up at 5:00 am as usual. I was having my coffee when my cellphone rang at 5:07. It was someone at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. The voice on the other end of the phone told me that Mom was not breathing, and they were trying to resuscitate her. I was sure they had called the wrong number. My Mom was doing so well she was being discharged that very morning. I didn't know what to say. I got dressed and sped across town to Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. When I arrived, I had to ring the bell to get in. The nurse at the end of the hallway, told me that Mom had been taking to Pardee Hospital, and that she had never regained consciousness.As I pulled up to Pardee Hospital and I saw them bringing Mom in. I was told to wait in the lobby. As I sat there I called my wife and she and my son were on there way. Then they took me back to the "family" room and told me Mom had died. I sat there by myself, wondering how this was happening. Then I realized that I was the one who had to call my brother and sisters and tell them Mom was gone.
That is the story of what happened to my Mother. The next post I will explain what happened in the following weeks. A series of lies and misinformation, all leading me places I never dreamed.
Patricia Ackerman Lytle February 2, 1935 - November 3, 2011.
I left off describing the conditions and problems we had with Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. I will pick up where I left off.
The staff levels are so low, that if not for the family, Mom would have been in bad shape. We were there to help her with her meals,as the surgery had caused her eyesight to deteriorate. She was able to eat fine, she just couldn't see her food. The issues with call bells was ongoing.On one occasion, Mom had asked my brother to make sure she got a shower. She said she was starting to smell kind of ripe. My brother found one of the CNA's and asked for Mom to get a shower. The CNA promised to get Mom a shower, but she had six people in front of her. While visiting one morning, Mom's roommate informed me that Mom had left the room the night before. She was trying to get to the bathroom and as was the normal no one answered the call bell. The nurse on duty confirmed that Mom was going down the hallway, using her meal tray as a walker. At the time, Mom made a joke about it, and we just assumed that they were watching out for her.
On my visit the morning of October 30, the roommate told me that Mom had fallen the night before. As was usual, Mom made light of the fall. She said that it felt like someone had "filled her shoes with shit" and slid her across the floor. It didn't seem significant at the time, and Mom seemed to only suffer a cut on her arm.
After the fall, Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation decided that Mom had reached her goals and was ready to go home. There was some confusion on her release date, but she was to be discharged on November 3, 2011.
On Halloween night , Mom insisted we get her candy to hand out to anyone who came trick or treating. All of the grand children visited, and Mom had her candy to give out. My son was talking about a haunted house that we had been to that week. Mom said that you should be in her room at night, you could hear people begging for help, moaning and screaming. She made a joke of it, and with only two more days to her discharge, the family didn't make a big deal of it.
Mom continued to get her strength back. I would visit in the afternoon, and the therapist would tell her to do ten, Mom would do 15. She really couldn't wait to get home. Her roommate was sent home, and a new roommate came in. Not much out of the ordinary happened in the next two days.
On Wednesday, November 2, my wife and son picked Mom up from Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. She wanted to go to the bank, and get her finances straightened out. Mom also wanted to go shopping, for a new pair of jeans to wear home the next morning.
The next morning, November 3, 2011, I had gotten up at 5:00 am as usual. I was having my coffee when my cellphone rang at 5:07. It was someone at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. The voice on the other end of the phone told me that Mom was not breathing, and they were trying to resuscitate her. I was sure they had called the wrong number. My Mom was doing so well she was being discharged that very morning. I didn't know what to say. I got dressed and sped across town to Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. When I arrived, I had to ring the bell to get in. The nurse at the end of the hallway, told me that Mom had been taking to Pardee Hospital, and that she had never regained consciousness.As I pulled up to Pardee Hospital and I saw them bringing Mom in. I was told to wait in the lobby. As I sat there I called my wife and she and my son were on there way. Then they took me back to the "family" room and told me Mom had died. I sat there by myself, wondering how this was happening. Then I realized that I was the one who had to call my brother and sisters and tell them Mom was gone.
That is the story of what happened to my Mother. The next post I will explain what happened in the following weeks. A series of lies and misinformation, all leading me places I never dreamed.
Patricia Ackerman Lytle February 2, 1935 - November 3, 2011.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
How it all began, part two
Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, Flat Rock NC. SanStone Health and Rehabilitation, Dr. Larry Joe Russell, Dr. Harold Picus, Susan Habel RN., Lara Mooney LPN, Maud " Cookie" Romeo, Christopher Sprenger, Mike Deloach, Paul Shogren.
When I finished yesterday, Mom was back in Mission Hospital in Asheville. The doctors managed to get her Medicare to cover more time for rehabilitation. That's where Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation comes in. Mom was transferred there on October 20, 2011.
The afternoon she was transferred, I visited after work. I stopped at the front desk, and they told me she was in room 102A. I walked down the hallway to room 102, and whoever that was it wasn't Mom. As I was walking back down the hall an employee stopped me and asked who I was looking for. He directed me to room 101A, where I found Mom and my sister. The room was small with Wal Mart style furniture. There were two beds, Mom was in bed A, and there was another patient in bed B. The roommate was a younger patient, she was in there to receive IV medication. The family got to know her pretty well. She would watch out for Mom, when one of the family was not there. The first night at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation was a little scary. There were people moaning, and screaming for help. The lady across the hall was crying out for Jenny.
At first it seemed like an alright place, Mom started participating in her physical therapy, with the goal of going home. There were problems during her stay, but nothing at the time to suggest how bad it was. I worked so close that I was able to visit every morning. I would show up about 8:30, we would have coffee and talk. Mom's breakfast tray would usually be sitting there. I would check to make sure she was eating. Most days about half of her meal would be eaten, and another quarter of the meal would be spilled on the tray and the bed. Mom would have to use the rest room, she would pull the call light, and we would wait 5 minutes or so then I would help her to the restroom. Usually I would have to go find a nurse or CNA to help her out of the bathroom. She was not supposed to get up without one person to physically assist. One morning, Mom was in bed covered with blankets. We had our coffee, and as usual, Mom had to go to the restroom. As she pushed away the blankets to get out of bed, to both of our surprise, she had nothing on from the waist down. She was laying on an absorbent mat. I spoke to the nurse, and she told me that sometimes they do that to let the patient " dry off ". My youngest sister was visiting from Atlanta, and when I told her about what happened, she was very upset. She expressed her concern to the social service director, and a meeting was scheduled. My brother and another sister went to the meeting, and were told that was normal procedure.
My brother, and sisters and the rest of the family visited daily. There was really not much time that one of us was not there. The only exception was late at night till early in the morning. We felt that although things were not perfect, that the staff would be able to watch over her as she slept.
Several of us complained to the staff about the issue of answering the call bells, getting help with her meals, and making sure she had a shower more than once a week. Mom also had to constantly ask for water. I guess if they don't give patients water, they don't have to assist them to the restroom as often.
I will stop here and continue the story tomorrow, trust me it gets a lot worse!
When I finished yesterday, Mom was back in Mission Hospital in Asheville. The doctors managed to get her Medicare to cover more time for rehabilitation. That's where Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation comes in. Mom was transferred there on October 20, 2011.
The afternoon she was transferred, I visited after work. I stopped at the front desk, and they told me she was in room 102A. I walked down the hallway to room 102, and whoever that was it wasn't Mom. As I was walking back down the hall an employee stopped me and asked who I was looking for. He directed me to room 101A, where I found Mom and my sister. The room was small with Wal Mart style furniture. There were two beds, Mom was in bed A, and there was another patient in bed B. The roommate was a younger patient, she was in there to receive IV medication. The family got to know her pretty well. She would watch out for Mom, when one of the family was not there. The first night at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation was a little scary. There were people moaning, and screaming for help. The lady across the hall was crying out for Jenny.
At first it seemed like an alright place, Mom started participating in her physical therapy, with the goal of going home. There were problems during her stay, but nothing at the time to suggest how bad it was. I worked so close that I was able to visit every morning. I would show up about 8:30, we would have coffee and talk. Mom's breakfast tray would usually be sitting there. I would check to make sure she was eating. Most days about half of her meal would be eaten, and another quarter of the meal would be spilled on the tray and the bed. Mom would have to use the rest room, she would pull the call light, and we would wait 5 minutes or so then I would help her to the restroom. Usually I would have to go find a nurse or CNA to help her out of the bathroom. She was not supposed to get up without one person to physically assist. One morning, Mom was in bed covered with blankets. We had our coffee, and as usual, Mom had to go to the restroom. As she pushed away the blankets to get out of bed, to both of our surprise, she had nothing on from the waist down. She was laying on an absorbent mat. I spoke to the nurse, and she told me that sometimes they do that to let the patient " dry off ". My youngest sister was visiting from Atlanta, and when I told her about what happened, she was very upset. She expressed her concern to the social service director, and a meeting was scheduled. My brother and another sister went to the meeting, and were told that was normal procedure.
My brother, and sisters and the rest of the family visited daily. There was really not much time that one of us was not there. The only exception was late at night till early in the morning. We felt that although things were not perfect, that the staff would be able to watch over her as she slept.
Several of us complained to the staff about the issue of answering the call bells, getting help with her meals, and making sure she had a shower more than once a week. Mom also had to constantly ask for water. I guess if they don't give patients water, they don't have to assist them to the restroom as often.
I will stop here and continue the story tomorrow, trust me it gets a lot worse!
Saturday, September 14, 2013
How it all began, two years ago!
Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, Flat Rock NC. SanStone Health and Rehabilitation, Dr. Larry Joe Russell, Dr. Harold Picus, Susan Habel RN., Lara Mooney LPN, Maud " Cookie" Romeo, Christopher Sprenger, Mike Deloach, Paul Shogren
Two years ago I would not be able to tell you anything about any of those listed above. Mom had her surgery on September 7, 2011. Mission Hospital in Asheville was where this story begins. Mom had her surgery, and was a little slower recovering than expected. Her stay in Mission lasted at least a week longer than expected. Doctor Harold Picus who had done the surgery, decided Mom was ready to transfer to Care Partners in Asheville NC. My brother and sister argued that Mom was not ready to be moved. A nurse on Mom's floor stopped them from sending her to Care Partners that day, but within two days I got a call that she was being moved.
At Care Partners, Mom was starting to be able to participate in physical and occupational therapy, even though she was not eating much. They would just wheel her tray into the room, and leave it. We always had to make sure someone was there to help her with her meals. We even brought her different foods, that we knew she would eat. You could walk into Care Partners and never see a nurse the whole way to Moms room. Despite everything, at or around the 20 day mark, ( the magical number of days covered by Medicare ), they decided that Mom was ready to go home. Again family members argued that she was not ready, and they sent her home anyway.
The family made arrangements to gather all the equipment that Mom would need at home. She was glad to finally be in her own bed. My sister spent most nights sleeping in a chair at the end of Moms bed, in case she needed anything at night. Everyone took turns trying to provide her with the care she needed. She was supposed to have home health aids, but that never really happened. After being home for just a week, Mom ended back in Mission Hospital, she was complaining of stomach pain and was not reacting well to the medications that she was prescribed. That Thursday, I went over to her house, everyone who was there agreed that she needed to go to the ER. Mom was in Mission for over a week this time. They were treating her for hemorrhoids, and trying to get her medication right. The Er doctors at mission were the most professional of all the providers we had been dealing with. Mom started to improve, and the doctors were able to get her approved for more rehabilitation, at a " skilled nursing facility". This is where the true nightmare begins and tragically ended, with Moms death. November 3, 2011. Possibly the worst day of my life so far.
More to come tomorrow!
Two years ago I would not be able to tell you anything about any of those listed above. Mom had her surgery on September 7, 2011. Mission Hospital in Asheville was where this story begins. Mom had her surgery, and was a little slower recovering than expected. Her stay in Mission lasted at least a week longer than expected. Doctor Harold Picus who had done the surgery, decided Mom was ready to transfer to Care Partners in Asheville NC. My brother and sister argued that Mom was not ready to be moved. A nurse on Mom's floor stopped them from sending her to Care Partners that day, but within two days I got a call that she was being moved.
At Care Partners, Mom was starting to be able to participate in physical and occupational therapy, even though she was not eating much. They would just wheel her tray into the room, and leave it. We always had to make sure someone was there to help her with her meals. We even brought her different foods, that we knew she would eat. You could walk into Care Partners and never see a nurse the whole way to Moms room. Despite everything, at or around the 20 day mark, ( the magical number of days covered by Medicare ), they decided that Mom was ready to go home. Again family members argued that she was not ready, and they sent her home anyway.
The family made arrangements to gather all the equipment that Mom would need at home. She was glad to finally be in her own bed. My sister spent most nights sleeping in a chair at the end of Moms bed, in case she needed anything at night. Everyone took turns trying to provide her with the care she needed. She was supposed to have home health aids, but that never really happened. After being home for just a week, Mom ended back in Mission Hospital, she was complaining of stomach pain and was not reacting well to the medications that she was prescribed. That Thursday, I went over to her house, everyone who was there agreed that she needed to go to the ER. Mom was in Mission for over a week this time. They were treating her for hemorrhoids, and trying to get her medication right. The Er doctors at mission were the most professional of all the providers we had been dealing with. Mom started to improve, and the doctors were able to get her approved for more rehabilitation, at a " skilled nursing facility". This is where the true nightmare begins and tragically ended, with Moms death. November 3, 2011. Possibly the worst day of my life so far.
More to come tomorrow!
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