October 19, 2011, that was the day they moved mom from Memorial Mission Hospital to Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. It finally looked as if she was headed down the road to recovery. This time she was strong enough to actually benefit from the rehabilitation and physical therapy sessions.
It was later in the afternoon on that Monday when she arrived at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. I remember my sister and I were there when the cna came in to get her personal information. Everyone felt that Mom was going to overcome the effects of the surgery and return home. It was apparent that it would still be a while, but she was expected to make a full recovery!
I will never forget the first night, sitting there and hearing the woman across the hall screaming. I am sure Mom was probably scared to death. Her fear was that she would die in a nursing home. We were all convinced that was not going to happen. I would guess that she did not sleep much that first night due to the screaming and howling across the hall.
The next day Mom got a roommate, she was very nice and a visit to Mom included a visit to her as well. She was in Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation just for iv medication, I would guess her age somewhere in the late 30's to early 40's. She was a blessing, she would always try to help Mom when she was able.
The first week was an educational experience for all of us. After Care Partners and Mission Hospital, someone from the family would be there most of the day. My sister spent the night in a chair for the first couple of days. Someone would stay and help Mom with dinner, and stay till nine or so. As Mom gained her strength back we started to feel more comfortable leaving her alone at night.
The roommate would fill us in the next day about how the night went. Everything seemed to be going well.
Mom was participating in the therapy and doing great. When I would visit in the afternoon, she would be in therapy. Mom was doing everything she could to get out of there. She was still needing help toileting as she could not see very well. Then one during my morning visit, I was going to help her to the restroom and when she pulled back the covers she was naked from the waist down. I got one of the cna's to assist her and dress her.
I went to the director of nursing, Susan Habel, and was told that sometimes they have to let them "air dry ". This was when we started to notice certain things were not right. One afternoon, Mom asked my brother to see if she could get a shower, said she was getting "fragrant ". He spoke to the cna on that hall and she said she had three or four others waiting but she would make sure Mom got a shower. Mom had a voice recorder and one of her recordings stated that it was three o'clock in the morning and she had not had her shower yet.
We complained and a meeting was scheduled with the social director and Susan Habel RN the Director of Nursing. I was not able to attend the meeting, but my sister and brothert did. There was no mention of the problems we had discussed, they just started talking about Moms discharg.
Thats when things got serious, Mom fell on the 29th of October, 2011. Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation called my sister and informed her of the fall and supposedly informed Dr. Larry Joe Russell. According to which one of Dr. Russell's statements you read. One says he saw her as he would any patient who fell while he was on site, the other says he did not see her and that he agreed with the nurses evaluation that she didn't need to be seen. Both these statements are in the NCDHSR investigation of our complaint. I tried to get them to explain how DR. Russell did both see her and not see her in the same day? I was totally blown off by the NCDHSR. Their report is full of lies and falce statements. From their own documents I believe it is obvious that the "investigation" wasn't taken very seriously by the NCDHSR. I'm sure they see this kind of stuff regularly, and just turn their heads. I dont know how Todd Davis, Kim Britt and Paul Yockey of the NCDHSR can sleep at night.
I bet none of them could sleep at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. I gurantee you their parents will never end up in Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation either. My Mother died three years ago in Hendersonville Health and rehabilitation. Her greatest fear became a reality. The cause of death had nothing to do with what she had been admitted for. The real cause of death is the low staff levels at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation.
The company who operates Hendersonville Health and rehabilitation is SanStone Health and Rehabilitation. Their telivision and print ads state " Sanstone, our passion makes the difference ". I guess their passion is to run substandard homes with low staff levels and get rich. My Mom is gone and I am at peace with that. It's just that people need to open their eyes and see who these people really are. Thats what drives me to continue on my quest for the truth, I welcome any help!
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
NCDHSR and Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, Volentary Manslaughter ?
Three years ago, I would never have imagined I'd be writing about these issues. Like most people I assumed that the people watching out for the elderly were actually doing their jobs. That is the furthest thing from the truth. As I learned how slack the NCDHHS regulations were on nursing homes, and how they were not even enforcing them, the journy began.
I never would have dreamed I'd have any reason to call the the State Bureau of Investigation, the
NCDHHS, two different Congressmen, the NC State Medical Examiner, Centers for Medicade and Medicaid Services, The Office of the Inspector General, NC State Medical Board and NC Board of Nursing. And if you told me I would have two meetings in the office of the F.B.I., I would have told you you were crazy.
But that was three years ago. And believe it or not, the above is just a partial list of people I have spoken to. Anyone heard of the office Ombudsman, Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence, NCI Advancemed, North Carolina Department of Medical Assistance,
My Mother died in the hands of greedy nursing home owners and theives at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. In the days following Mom's death, I started to see many reasons for concern. Questions were only fueled by the number of people who had died in that same facility in just a few months time. I origionally counted eighteen in a little over two months. That seemed to be a lot of deaths for a "Health and Rehabilitation" facility. Maybe they should change the name to "Hendersonville if you're lucky you get out alive and Rehabilitation".
As time went on, I was more and more convinced that something had gone wrong and Mom did not die a natural death. Immediatly I questioned why the death certificate was signed by Dr. Larry Joe Russell instead of the Emergency room doctor. I was told Dr. Russell was Mom's doctor at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation which was a surprise because no one in the family had ever met him or heard his name.
While picking up the death certificate for the estate paperwork, I looked through the books at the courthouse. Dr. Larry Joe Russell has signed a whole bunch of death certificates. Over two thirds of them, the cause of death is listed as "failure to thrive". Most of them died in one of Henderson County's many nursing homes. Dr. Russell is the Doctor of record at all the local homes and the medical director at the Laurels of Hendersonville.
I cant prove what happened to Mom was not due to natural causes. What I can prove is that the medical records from Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation are incomplete, inacurate and sometimes just false. I can also prove that Dr. Russell never saw her.
Mom's medical records prove that they are playing games with medications, and committing Medicare fraud. I can also prove that the North Carolina Department of Health Service Regulation, a division of NCDHHS, is allowing this to happen. I have documents that indicate that the NCDHSR is committing Medicare fraud by allowing them to operate without true regulations.
With all that said, I have been unable to get any response from any of the agencies listed above. Not the NCDMA, CMS, OIG, CCME, OIG, NCBON, NCME, FBI or the NC Medical Board. The one thing that keeps holding me back is the ficticious report by the NCDHSR and subsequent " medical review. The NCDHSR should be charged with volentary manslaughter and the investigators prosecuted.
I currently have a request with the Freedom of Information Act for a complaint inspection of Hendersonville Health and Rethabilitation that was completed the day before Mom died. The status of that request is pending since March of this year. My brother has a Freedom of Information Act request for documents from NCI Advancemed that has been pending since September 2013. They are all trying to keep us from finding out the truth.
According to one publication Dr Russell had seen over 4000 patients in the year 2012. That doesn't account for his stable of FNP's and PA's. According toa study from The Annals of Family Medicine, one doctor can reasonably help 983 patients in a year working solo. As part of a team, delegating tasks properly, the same doctor could reach 1,947 patients.
Even if you include his "team" thats more than twice what the Annals of Family Medicine says they reasonably see in a year. Maybe thats why so many of Doctor Russell's patients die.
I never would have dreamed I'd have any reason to call the the State Bureau of Investigation, the
NCDHHS, two different Congressmen, the NC State Medical Examiner, Centers for Medicade and Medicaid Services, The Office of the Inspector General, NC State Medical Board and NC Board of Nursing. And if you told me I would have two meetings in the office of the F.B.I., I would have told you you were crazy.
But that was three years ago. And believe it or not, the above is just a partial list of people I have spoken to. Anyone heard of the office Ombudsman, Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence, NCI Advancemed, North Carolina Department of Medical Assistance,
My Mother died in the hands of greedy nursing home owners and theives at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. In the days following Mom's death, I started to see many reasons for concern. Questions were only fueled by the number of people who had died in that same facility in just a few months time. I origionally counted eighteen in a little over two months. That seemed to be a lot of deaths for a "Health and Rehabilitation" facility. Maybe they should change the name to "Hendersonville if you're lucky you get out alive and Rehabilitation".
As time went on, I was more and more convinced that something had gone wrong and Mom did not die a natural death. Immediatly I questioned why the death certificate was signed by Dr. Larry Joe Russell instead of the Emergency room doctor. I was told Dr. Russell was Mom's doctor at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation which was a surprise because no one in the family had ever met him or heard his name.
While picking up the death certificate for the estate paperwork, I looked through the books at the courthouse. Dr. Larry Joe Russell has signed a whole bunch of death certificates. Over two thirds of them, the cause of death is listed as "failure to thrive". Most of them died in one of Henderson County's many nursing homes. Dr. Russell is the Doctor of record at all the local homes and the medical director at the Laurels of Hendersonville.
I cant prove what happened to Mom was not due to natural causes. What I can prove is that the medical records from Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation are incomplete, inacurate and sometimes just false. I can also prove that Dr. Russell never saw her.
Mom's medical records prove that they are playing games with medications, and committing Medicare fraud. I can also prove that the North Carolina Department of Health Service Regulation, a division of NCDHHS, is allowing this to happen. I have documents that indicate that the NCDHSR is committing Medicare fraud by allowing them to operate without true regulations.
With all that said, I have been unable to get any response from any of the agencies listed above. Not the NCDMA, CMS, OIG, CCME, OIG, NCBON, NCME, FBI or the NC Medical Board. The one thing that keeps holding me back is the ficticious report by the NCDHSR and subsequent " medical review. The NCDHSR should be charged with volentary manslaughter and the investigators prosecuted.
I currently have a request with the Freedom of Information Act for a complaint inspection of Hendersonville Health and Rethabilitation that was completed the day before Mom died. The status of that request is pending since March of this year. My brother has a Freedom of Information Act request for documents from NCI Advancemed that has been pending since September 2013. They are all trying to keep us from finding out the truth.
According to one publication Dr Russell had seen over 4000 patients in the year 2012. That doesn't account for his stable of FNP's and PA's. According toa study from The Annals of Family Medicine, one doctor can reasonably help 983 patients in a year working solo. As part of a team, delegating tasks properly, the same doctor could reach 1,947 patients.
Even if you include his "team" thats more than twice what the Annals of Family Medicine says they reasonably see in a year. Maybe thats why so many of Doctor Russell's patients die.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
SanStone, Care Partners, Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, licensed to kill by the NCDHHS ????
After twenty one days at Care Partners, they decided that Mom was ready to go home. She was still not eating well and was barely able to walk. Again, if someone in the family had medical power of attorney we could have disputed the release.
Care Partners did little to rehabilitate Mom, they simply put her in a room and kept her from falling out of bed. They did not help her eat and the rehab was a joke. The simple truth is Mom was not ready to be released. She was forced out of Mission hospital before she was ready and now Care Partners was doing the same thing. If someone had medical power of attorney we could have
protested her release. They would have had to reevaluate and Medicare would have had to pay for her care during the process. But twenty one days is twenty one days, and Mom wanted to go home.
Care Partners did help with obtaining all the necessary home medical supplies, from their recommended providers. I would not be surprised to learn that the providers were owned by the same people as Care Partners.
Mom was released from Care Partners and sent home. She was still unable to care for herself and the family tried to take over where Care Partners left off. My sister spent the night sleeping in a chair at the foot of Mom's bed, and each of us helped when we were able. Mom was able to stay in her house for a whole week before she was readmitted to Memorial Mission Hospital. Proof that her initial release was premature. This time they kept her for about two weeks and then they sent her to Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation.
Mom was admitted to Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation on October 19, 2011. Her doctor, according to the records was Dr. Larry Joe Russell. I have obtained a copy of Mom's records and there is no indication that Dr. Russell Ever laid eyes on my Mother. There are no notes from Dr. Russell in all of her records. Anything that had to be signed by her doctor has Dr. Russells initials on it, usually three to ten days after it's origional date.
Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation is operated by SanStone Health and Rehabilitation. SanStone Health and Rehabilitation is owned by Christopher Sprenger and Michael Deloach. The Sprenger family owns numerous nursing and rehabilitation facilities, starting in Ohio. Sanstone is spending lots of money advertising, their slogan is " Our passion makes the difference". I would have to agree with that statement, their passion (for making money) is why the care is substandard in their homes. Can you say understaffed? Go into Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation on the weekend, early in the morning, or after seven at night. Try to find a nurse or cna when you need one. It really doesn't matter when you go, there is never enough staff.
According to the North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation, they are required to post the staffing details in a public place. I was never able to find where they posted it, and when I did it was out of date. I requested a copy of the staffing reports for the dates Mom was in Hendersonville Health and rehabiloitation. They sent me the information, twenty one days of a form that was filled out in the same handwriting every day. I doesnt break down the times or anything, just the total number of hours worked in a day. What they do is put the majority of staff on in the daytime when people are most likely to be visiting.
It is important that anyone reading this understands that this has been going on for three years. My brother and I have spent countless hours going through the medical records. We could also write a book on what we know about the way nursing home ownership works. We have made numerous attempts to get the NCDHSR to hear our case, to no avail. I have gone so far as to send a certified letter to Aldona Vos, the secretary of the NCDHHS. I received a letter from her chief of staff stating that the matter was closed.
Lets just say that there were things in the records that were not accurate, or even incriminating, wouldn't they want to know. Keep in mind, they are responsible for licensing and inspecting these homes. Who am I supposed to go to if there is something the NCDHHS did, that needs to be explained? There is not one governing authority that will allow me to show them the information I have. So much for representation!
Footnote:
Thomas Franke, Chairman of the board of Care Partners is also on the board of Omega Health Care Investors. Omega is a major player in the healthcare business as is Mr.Franke.
There was a time when the governing authorities would take a look at Mr. Franke and all of his business relationships. That was before corporate contributions took over our government. It would take an act of congress to get anyone to question Mr. Franke's financial relationships. The irony is that Congress is basically in the pockets of Mr. Franke and people like him so that will never happen. God help us all!
Care Partners did little to rehabilitate Mom, they simply put her in a room and kept her from falling out of bed. They did not help her eat and the rehab was a joke. The simple truth is Mom was not ready to be released. She was forced out of Mission hospital before she was ready and now Care Partners was doing the same thing. If someone had medical power of attorney we could have
protested her release. They would have had to reevaluate and Medicare would have had to pay for her care during the process. But twenty one days is twenty one days, and Mom wanted to go home.
Care Partners did help with obtaining all the necessary home medical supplies, from their recommended providers. I would not be surprised to learn that the providers were owned by the same people as Care Partners.
Mom was released from Care Partners and sent home. She was still unable to care for herself and the family tried to take over where Care Partners left off. My sister spent the night sleeping in a chair at the foot of Mom's bed, and each of us helped when we were able. Mom was able to stay in her house for a whole week before she was readmitted to Memorial Mission Hospital. Proof that her initial release was premature. This time they kept her for about two weeks and then they sent her to Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation.
Mom was admitted to Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation on October 19, 2011. Her doctor, according to the records was Dr. Larry Joe Russell. I have obtained a copy of Mom's records and there is no indication that Dr. Russell Ever laid eyes on my Mother. There are no notes from Dr. Russell in all of her records. Anything that had to be signed by her doctor has Dr. Russells initials on it, usually three to ten days after it's origional date.
Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation is operated by SanStone Health and Rehabilitation. SanStone Health and Rehabilitation is owned by Christopher Sprenger and Michael Deloach. The Sprenger family owns numerous nursing and rehabilitation facilities, starting in Ohio. Sanstone is spending lots of money advertising, their slogan is " Our passion makes the difference". I would have to agree with that statement, their passion (for making money) is why the care is substandard in their homes. Can you say understaffed? Go into Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation on the weekend, early in the morning, or after seven at night. Try to find a nurse or cna when you need one. It really doesn't matter when you go, there is never enough staff.
According to the North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation, they are required to post the staffing details in a public place. I was never able to find where they posted it, and when I did it was out of date. I requested a copy of the staffing reports for the dates Mom was in Hendersonville Health and rehabiloitation. They sent me the information, twenty one days of a form that was filled out in the same handwriting every day. I doesnt break down the times or anything, just the total number of hours worked in a day. What they do is put the majority of staff on in the daytime when people are most likely to be visiting.
It is important that anyone reading this understands that this has been going on for three years. My brother and I have spent countless hours going through the medical records. We could also write a book on what we know about the way nursing home ownership works. We have made numerous attempts to get the NCDHSR to hear our case, to no avail. I have gone so far as to send a certified letter to Aldona Vos, the secretary of the NCDHHS. I received a letter from her chief of staff stating that the matter was closed.
Lets just say that there were things in the records that were not accurate, or even incriminating, wouldn't they want to know. Keep in mind, they are responsible for licensing and inspecting these homes. Who am I supposed to go to if there is something the NCDHHS did, that needs to be explained? There is not one governing authority that will allow me to show them the information I have. So much for representation!
Footnote:
Thomas Franke, Chairman of the board of Care Partners is also on the board of Omega Health Care Investors. Omega is a major player in the healthcare business as is Mr.Franke.
There was a time when the governing authorities would take a look at Mr. Franke and all of his business relationships. That was before corporate contributions took over our government. It would take an act of congress to get anyone to question Mr. Franke's financial relationships. The irony is that Congress is basically in the pockets of Mr. Franke and people like him so that will never happen. God help us all!
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Memorial Mission Hospital, and Care Partners, shame on you !
This time three years ago was probably one of the worst times in my life. Mom had surgery on the 7th of September 2011. The surgery, a craniotomy was scheduled due to her worsening eyesight. Dr. Harold Picus was the surgeon who performed the surgery at Memorial Mission Hospital in Asheville NC.
According to Dr. Picus, Mom was expected to make a complete recovery. The surgery involved opening the side of her skull to access the pituitary gland where the tumor was located. Needless to say when the family was allowed in to see Mom after the surgery it was quite a shock to see all those staples in the side of her head. The recovery was taking longer than expected and Mission was in a hurry to get her out of there.
Mom was in ICU for the first five days or so, and then she was moved to a private room. She was not able to eat for another couple of days. After several more days she was able to eat a small portion of her dinner. Mom's appetite was nowhere close to what it was before the surgery, but it was enough to get Memorial Mission Hospital to force her release. Not one of us knew enough to get medical power of attorney, or how to protest her release. She was obviously not ready to go anywhere, but the doctors convinced us that she had a small window of opportunity to get into Care Partners. One of the doctors at Mission told my brother Medicare would refuse to pay if they waited too long.
My brother spoke to the nurse at Mission Hospital who was preparing the papers for Mom's discharge. He pointed out the fact that Mom was not ready to be moved, she left the room and returned a little while later. She was crying and told my brother that she had postponed the release but she could only do so much. She was moved by ambulance two days later to Care Partners in Asheville.
Things were starting to get really complicated. Medicare will pay for twenty one days of rehabilitation. Mom was put in a room and pretty much just left there. The family took turns feeding her and taking care of what we could. We were even bringing food from home and restaurants . The staff would wheel in the meal cart and just leave it. Mom could not see well enough to eat on her own. Care Partners answer was to keep giving her Ensure instead of feeding her. The only thing Care Partners did do, was make damn sure Mom did not fall. If she moved wrong and set off the bed alarm they were in there really quick. Tension was getting bad within the family, each of us had our own idea of what was best for her. Still, no one could bear the thought of having Mom declared incompetent.
Believe me, looking back now someone should have had medical power of attorney before the surgery even took place. Mom had downplayed the whole thing, probably in an attempt to keep peace in the family. Mom could have disputed her release, but she did what the doctors told her to do. They even asked her if she was ready to go to Care Partners, her answer was " if you say I am ".
Anyone having any surgery should have a medical power of attorney. If you do not you are totally at the mercy of the medical community. They will keep you as long as they are getting those Medicare dollars, then you're on your own. It's amazing that after twenty one days at Care Partners, it was decided that Mom was ready to go home. She was still not able to walk without assistance and was barely eating. Twenty one days is twenty one days. More to come
According to Dr. Picus, Mom was expected to make a complete recovery. The surgery involved opening the side of her skull to access the pituitary gland where the tumor was located. Needless to say when the family was allowed in to see Mom after the surgery it was quite a shock to see all those staples in the side of her head. The recovery was taking longer than expected and Mission was in a hurry to get her out of there.
Mom was in ICU for the first five days or so, and then she was moved to a private room. She was not able to eat for another couple of days. After several more days she was able to eat a small portion of her dinner. Mom's appetite was nowhere close to what it was before the surgery, but it was enough to get Memorial Mission Hospital to force her release. Not one of us knew enough to get medical power of attorney, or how to protest her release. She was obviously not ready to go anywhere, but the doctors convinced us that she had a small window of opportunity to get into Care Partners. One of the doctors at Mission told my brother Medicare would refuse to pay if they waited too long.
My brother spoke to the nurse at Mission Hospital who was preparing the papers for Mom's discharge. He pointed out the fact that Mom was not ready to be moved, she left the room and returned a little while later. She was crying and told my brother that she had postponed the release but she could only do so much. She was moved by ambulance two days later to Care Partners in Asheville.
Things were starting to get really complicated. Medicare will pay for twenty one days of rehabilitation. Mom was put in a room and pretty much just left there. The family took turns feeding her and taking care of what we could. We were even bringing food from home and restaurants . The staff would wheel in the meal cart and just leave it. Mom could not see well enough to eat on her own. Care Partners answer was to keep giving her Ensure instead of feeding her. The only thing Care Partners did do, was make damn sure Mom did not fall. If she moved wrong and set off the bed alarm they were in there really quick. Tension was getting bad within the family, each of us had our own idea of what was best for her. Still, no one could bear the thought of having Mom declared incompetent.
Believe me, looking back now someone should have had medical power of attorney before the surgery even took place. Mom had downplayed the whole thing, probably in an attempt to keep peace in the family. Mom could have disputed her release, but she did what the doctors told her to do. They even asked her if she was ready to go to Care Partners, her answer was " if you say I am ".
Anyone having any surgery should have a medical power of attorney. If you do not you are totally at the mercy of the medical community. They will keep you as long as they are getting those Medicare dollars, then you're on your own. It's amazing that after twenty one days at Care Partners, it was decided that Mom was ready to go home. She was still not able to walk without assistance and was barely eating. Twenty one days is twenty one days. More to come
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Aldona Wos, Mark Payne, Todd Davis, Beverly Speroff, what are you afraid of ? Who are you protecting ???
After two weeks, I finally received a response to my letter to Mark Payne the chief of staff of the NCDHHS.
The letter was a request that they review the investigation notes from my complaint against Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. I had included three pages of notes from Todd Davis, the lead investigator. Parts of those pages were highlighted to show inconsistencies, and there was also a list of questions. I was simply trying to understand how the report could be so wrong about so many things.
In the report Todd Davis states that Dr. Larry Joe Russell had seen Mom the morning after she fell as he would any patient when he came in that morning at 5:30. On page three of the same report, Mr. Davis states that Dr. Russell did not see her after the fall. He goes on to say that the nurses at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation examined her and decided she did not need further care. In Dr. Russell's professional opinion the nurses did what they were supposed to.
Ok I'm a little bit confused as to how this could have happened. According to Mr. Payne, the Surveyor Notes Worksheets are not Mr. Davis' summary of the investigation .They are simply notes of what Mr. Davis was told by the individuals that he had interviewed during the investigation. Mr. Payne doesn't seem to care that the facts are inaccurate.
Here is the definition of investigation from the dictionary : the act or process of investigating; a careful search or examination in order to discover facts. I'm pretty sure that the Surveyors Notes Worksheets indicate anything but a careful search in order to discover facts. Either that or they just don't care about the accuracy of their facts.
Did Mr. Davis actually interview Dr. Larry Joe Russell twice about the night of the fall. Did Dr. Russell forget what he said in the first interview, or was he confused about which of his "patients" he was talking about . If he actually kept records he would not contradict himself! My question would be who was more confused, Dr. Russell or Todd Davis. If in fact Dr. Russell was actually interviewed twice and told two different stories, would that not be a red flag for an investigator ? Someone "in search or examination to discover facts".
According to Mark Payne, Chief of Staff at the NCDHHS, no further action is warranted. Not one of the questions in my letter was addressed by Mr. Payne. He simply stated that the information contained in the surveyor worksheets were not Todd Davis' summary. As a high ranking official at the NCDHHS, I would question his concern for public safety. Is The NCDHHS protecting the owners of Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation ? Or do they actually have any authority to enforce violations of their own regulations. Does this have anything to do with the fact that Gerald P. Cox , a member of the NC Medical Commission is connected to the owners of Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation?
Whatever the answer is, they continually refuse to explain the mistakes that they made in an investigation, that eventually involved the death of a resident of Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation and a patient of Dr. Larry Joe Russell. If they did nothing wrong then why not just simply answer the questions I ask? There is no legal action I can take if they tell the truth, I am simply trying to make them see the flaws in their own system. Obviously they are protecting someone for some reason.
Again I do not disagree with anything Mr. Payne said in his letter, except for the fact that my complaint was thoroughly investigated. I am working on another letter to Mr. Payne asking for the same answers that he avoided giving me. I'll post when and if I get a Reply.
Keep those letters and calls coming your stories are important. Better yet post a comment on this blog for all to see. Don't be afraid to stand up for those you love!~
The letter was a request that they review the investigation notes from my complaint against Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. I had included three pages of notes from Todd Davis, the lead investigator. Parts of those pages were highlighted to show inconsistencies, and there was also a list of questions. I was simply trying to understand how the report could be so wrong about so many things.
In the report Todd Davis states that Dr. Larry Joe Russell had seen Mom the morning after she fell as he would any patient when he came in that morning at 5:30. On page three of the same report, Mr. Davis states that Dr. Russell did not see her after the fall. He goes on to say that the nurses at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation examined her and decided she did not need further care. In Dr. Russell's professional opinion the nurses did what they were supposed to.
Ok I'm a little bit confused as to how this could have happened. According to Mr. Payne, the Surveyor Notes Worksheets are not Mr. Davis' summary of the investigation .They are simply notes of what Mr. Davis was told by the individuals that he had interviewed during the investigation. Mr. Payne doesn't seem to care that the facts are inaccurate.
Here is the definition of investigation from the dictionary : the act or process of investigating; a careful search or examination in order to discover facts. I'm pretty sure that the Surveyors Notes Worksheets indicate anything but a careful search in order to discover facts. Either that or they just don't care about the accuracy of their facts.
Did Mr. Davis actually interview Dr. Larry Joe Russell twice about the night of the fall. Did Dr. Russell forget what he said in the first interview, or was he confused about which of his "patients" he was talking about . If he actually kept records he would not contradict himself! My question would be who was more confused, Dr. Russell or Todd Davis. If in fact Dr. Russell was actually interviewed twice and told two different stories, would that not be a red flag for an investigator ? Someone "in search or examination to discover facts".
According to Mark Payne, Chief of Staff at the NCDHHS, no further action is warranted. Not one of the questions in my letter was addressed by Mr. Payne. He simply stated that the information contained in the surveyor worksheets were not Todd Davis' summary. As a high ranking official at the NCDHHS, I would question his concern for public safety. Is The NCDHHS protecting the owners of Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation ? Or do they actually have any authority to enforce violations of their own regulations. Does this have anything to do with the fact that Gerald P. Cox , a member of the NC Medical Commission is connected to the owners of Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation?
Whatever the answer is, they continually refuse to explain the mistakes that they made in an investigation, that eventually involved the death of a resident of Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation and a patient of Dr. Larry Joe Russell. If they did nothing wrong then why not just simply answer the questions I ask? There is no legal action I can take if they tell the truth, I am simply trying to make them see the flaws in their own system. Obviously they are protecting someone for some reason.
Again I do not disagree with anything Mr. Payne said in his letter, except for the fact that my complaint was thoroughly investigated. I am working on another letter to Mr. Payne asking for the same answers that he avoided giving me. I'll post when and if I get a Reply.
Keep those letters and calls coming your stories are important. Better yet post a comment on this blog for all to see. Don't be afraid to stand up for those you love!~
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Is the NCDHHS so perfect that they dont even want to look?
Back in March, I wrote a letter to Aldona Wos , the North Carolina secretary of DHHS. The letter was a simple explanation of my frustrations with the NCDHSR. I also requested that Secretary Wos would have someone review Mom's file. I sent the letter by regular mail, and never received a response.
In July, I sent the same letter via certified mail. This time I received a response from Mark Payne, the chief of staff of the NCDHHS. The letter is basically a timeline of what was supposedly done following the complaint investigation. There is nothing in the letter that addresses any of the questions I had asked. Typical government response to a question, answer anything except what you are asked.
There are specific things in the report that are not true, or contradict what is said elsewhere in the very same report. This is a symptom of a problem that is system wide in the NCDHHS and CMS. Neither of which will even attempt to explain or even look at what is there. If they were to look they could not ignore us any longer. But how do you get them to look ?
I am not disputing what Mr. Payne says in his letter except the part about a "thorough investigation". I included a list of questions that I would ask Todd Davis, the origional investigators. I also asked for a simple review of the facts. I am working on a list of questions for the investigators. I also requested documentation for some of the facts from the so called review. Now I wait for an answer from Mr. Payne.
I sent him a copy of Todd Davis's summary of the investigation, which is full of mistakes and false statements. Any of which prove that the investigation was not taken serious at all. Hopefully that may matter to someone at the NCDHHS. I have a feeling they will not respond, or that they will tell me the matter is closed as they have up till now. How can you improve on a system if you cant look at mistakes after the fact. Most people just get the response and accept that the NCDHHS has the final say. I believe it is my right if not my responsibility to point out the flaws in the whole nursing home inspection process.
The purpose of what I'm doing is to encourage reform of the nursing home inspection system. I believe that if you have people who worked in that environment, they become blind to the violations. They know that the nursing homes are understaffed and they overlook things because of that. What if they sent someone who was not from a medical background along with the team. Would the results still be the same? What if they were not allowed to announce the arrival of the inspectors over the intercom. If you've ever been in a home when it is being inspected, they put a sign on all entry doors and they announce the arrival of the inspectors.
How do they ever expect to find something wrong if they dont take time to look? They already know what the issues are at the homes, they just dont go beyond that. It's like working in a restaurant and the health inspector comes in. First thing you do is pull the can opener and run it through the dishwasher, if not thats the first thing you get written up for. The main difference is that the mistakes made in nursing homes are sometimes a matter of life and death.
In order for things to cahnge, they are going to have to start looking for real problems, not just the can opener. Staff levels in nursing homes are the main cause of everything else. There are no laws that I've found that say how much staff is required per resident. They break it down by the number of hours worked by the nurses and cna's. There is no specific number required on each shift, regardless of the number of patients. No wonder so many people " fail to thrive " as Dr. Russell puts it on the death certificates.
I saw on the news yesterday where a man got eighteen months in prison for animal abuse. Nursing home residents are being neglected to the point of death, and there are no substantiated complaints. I guess people care more about cute little animals than a helpless elderly person. Things need to change, I can use all the help I can get. Please continue to contact me and share your stories. It will someday make a difference.
In July, I sent the same letter via certified mail. This time I received a response from Mark Payne, the chief of staff of the NCDHHS. The letter is basically a timeline of what was supposedly done following the complaint investigation. There is nothing in the letter that addresses any of the questions I had asked. Typical government response to a question, answer anything except what you are asked.
There are specific things in the report that are not true, or contradict what is said elsewhere in the very same report. This is a symptom of a problem that is system wide in the NCDHHS and CMS. Neither of which will even attempt to explain or even look at what is there. If they were to look they could not ignore us any longer. But how do you get them to look ?
I am not disputing what Mr. Payne says in his letter except the part about a "thorough investigation". I included a list of questions that I would ask Todd Davis, the origional investigators. I also asked for a simple review of the facts. I am working on a list of questions for the investigators. I also requested documentation for some of the facts from the so called review. Now I wait for an answer from Mr. Payne.
I sent him a copy of Todd Davis's summary of the investigation, which is full of mistakes and false statements. Any of which prove that the investigation was not taken serious at all. Hopefully that may matter to someone at the NCDHHS. I have a feeling they will not respond, or that they will tell me the matter is closed as they have up till now. How can you improve on a system if you cant look at mistakes after the fact. Most people just get the response and accept that the NCDHHS has the final say. I believe it is my right if not my responsibility to point out the flaws in the whole nursing home inspection process.
The purpose of what I'm doing is to encourage reform of the nursing home inspection system. I believe that if you have people who worked in that environment, they become blind to the violations. They know that the nursing homes are understaffed and they overlook things because of that. What if they sent someone who was not from a medical background along with the team. Would the results still be the same? What if they were not allowed to announce the arrival of the inspectors over the intercom. If you've ever been in a home when it is being inspected, they put a sign on all entry doors and they announce the arrival of the inspectors.
How do they ever expect to find something wrong if they dont take time to look? They already know what the issues are at the homes, they just dont go beyond that. It's like working in a restaurant and the health inspector comes in. First thing you do is pull the can opener and run it through the dishwasher, if not thats the first thing you get written up for. The main difference is that the mistakes made in nursing homes are sometimes a matter of life and death.
In order for things to cahnge, they are going to have to start looking for real problems, not just the can opener. Staff levels in nursing homes are the main cause of everything else. There are no laws that I've found that say how much staff is required per resident. They break it down by the number of hours worked by the nurses and cna's. There is no specific number required on each shift, regardless of the number of patients. No wonder so many people " fail to thrive " as Dr. Russell puts it on the death certificates.
I saw on the news yesterday where a man got eighteen months in prison for animal abuse. Nursing home residents are being neglected to the point of death, and there are no substantiated complaints. I guess people care more about cute little animals than a helpless elderly person. Things need to change, I can use all the help I can get. Please continue to contact me and share your stories. It will someday make a difference.
Monday, August 4, 2014
Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation and SanStone must have friends in high places.
I began writing this over two years ago, simply because I couldn't believe what these people are getting away with. I've spent most of my spare time looking into how the nursing home industry works. I've seen the ownership, management, shell companies and all the usual ways that wealthy business owners hide their money. What bothers me the most is that the authorities don't care. They are almost hostile to the person making a complaint or an accusation.
This began when my brother and I filed complaints against Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation .with the NCDHSR. The complaints were based on the care Mom received there. When we received the copies of her medical records, we were astonished that the NCDHSR could not find any deficiencies.
The records themselves are for the most part handwritten. The majority of the documents have the wrong bed and room number. There is missing medication, no records at all from the shift the night Mom died, no notes from Dr. Larry Joe Russell who was supposed to be her doctor. There is an entry concerning a fall that was written a month after Mom's death. During her entire stay there are only four records of showers. One of the documents indicates that the night of the fall, she took a shower with no assistance. Although it is repeatedly noted that she was a fall risk and required assistance with ambulating.
This is not a complete list of what is wrong with Mom's medical records, but a representation of some of the obvious deficiencies we found. They are some of the violations that were overlooked by the NCDHHS. After the response from the NCDHSR, we requested a meeting with the Western Regional Director of the NCDHSR, Gail Maloney. During the meeting, we were basically told that none of the issues violated their regulations. Ms. Maloney informed us that she had the final word and that there was nothing else we could do. At the time of our meeting the only thing we had were Mom's medical records from Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. I did not receive the results of the DHSR investigation from the Freedom of Information Act till the following August. I have been through the information and have found too many inconsistencies to list. There are answers to our complaint that have no documentations to support them. This is not the way to investigate, there is proof in the records that is ignored because of the investigators opinion.
Why is the word of someone being investigated given more weight than the accuser? I have nothing to gain from this. Am I not due the same considerations as the very people who have something to lose. How would that work in a court of law. I am innocent simply because I say I am. There would certainly be no problem with the overcrowding of prisons. If someone did something wrong, are they really going to admit it to the authorities.
What do I have to do to get the NCDHSR to respond to my accusations. What rights do I have to make them look at their own mistakes. Lives are being lost due to the fact that the nursing homes are being allowed to violate the NCDHSR regulations. The investigators are looking the other way and allowing the homes to do whatever they want. How much is a life of an elderly patient worth to the NCDHSR. What are they getting in exchange for looking the other way?
All I am asking is for the NCDHSR to do their job, and preform comprehensive investigations. They are getting paid by taxpayers to investigate. Are they also getting paid to ignore their own findings?
That would be illegal and law enforcement would be getting involved. That's what you would think anyway.
If the NCDHSR is the final word, how will there ever be any sort of reform of the laws concerning nursing homes? Where is the justice for the elderly patients living in substandard conditions? Do they not have rights to be treated with respect ? Is there any dignity in lying in your own waste, or not getting a shower? If you have been in a nursing home, you must have seen things that made you wonder.
If you have someone in a nursing home, especially Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, take a look around. There are many warning signs that people ignore. Especially if you are the one who put your loved one in there. Sometimes it is impossible to care for someone at home and there is no choice. If you are in this situation you could help change the laws. Complain if something is wrong, and don't get discouraged when you get ignored by the NCDHSR. It takes more than a couple of people to make a change. I need all the help I can get. Don't let these people keep making millions at the expense of the elderly. Make them provide the care they are getting paid for.
This began when my brother and I filed complaints against Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation .with the NCDHSR. The complaints were based on the care Mom received there. When we received the copies of her medical records, we were astonished that the NCDHSR could not find any deficiencies.
The records themselves are for the most part handwritten. The majority of the documents have the wrong bed and room number. There is missing medication, no records at all from the shift the night Mom died, no notes from Dr. Larry Joe Russell who was supposed to be her doctor. There is an entry concerning a fall that was written a month after Mom's death. During her entire stay there are only four records of showers. One of the documents indicates that the night of the fall, she took a shower with no assistance. Although it is repeatedly noted that she was a fall risk and required assistance with ambulating.
This is not a complete list of what is wrong with Mom's medical records, but a representation of some of the obvious deficiencies we found. They are some of the violations that were overlooked by the NCDHHS. After the response from the NCDHSR, we requested a meeting with the Western Regional Director of the NCDHSR, Gail Maloney. During the meeting, we were basically told that none of the issues violated their regulations. Ms. Maloney informed us that she had the final word and that there was nothing else we could do. At the time of our meeting the only thing we had were Mom's medical records from Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. I did not receive the results of the DHSR investigation from the Freedom of Information Act till the following August. I have been through the information and have found too many inconsistencies to list. There are answers to our complaint that have no documentations to support them. This is not the way to investigate, there is proof in the records that is ignored because of the investigators opinion.
Why is the word of someone being investigated given more weight than the accuser? I have nothing to gain from this. Am I not due the same considerations as the very people who have something to lose. How would that work in a court of law. I am innocent simply because I say I am. There would certainly be no problem with the overcrowding of prisons. If someone did something wrong, are they really going to admit it to the authorities.
What do I have to do to get the NCDHSR to respond to my accusations. What rights do I have to make them look at their own mistakes. Lives are being lost due to the fact that the nursing homes are being allowed to violate the NCDHSR regulations. The investigators are looking the other way and allowing the homes to do whatever they want. How much is a life of an elderly patient worth to the NCDHSR. What are they getting in exchange for looking the other way?
All I am asking is for the NCDHSR to do their job, and preform comprehensive investigations. They are getting paid by taxpayers to investigate. Are they also getting paid to ignore their own findings?
That would be illegal and law enforcement would be getting involved. That's what you would think anyway.
If the NCDHSR is the final word, how will there ever be any sort of reform of the laws concerning nursing homes? Where is the justice for the elderly patients living in substandard conditions? Do they not have rights to be treated with respect ? Is there any dignity in lying in your own waste, or not getting a shower? If you have been in a nursing home, you must have seen things that made you wonder.
If you have someone in a nursing home, especially Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, take a look around. There are many warning signs that people ignore. Especially if you are the one who put your loved one in there. Sometimes it is impossible to care for someone at home and there is no choice. If you are in this situation you could help change the laws. Complain if something is wrong, and don't get discouraged when you get ignored by the NCDHSR. It takes more than a couple of people to make a change. I need all the help I can get. Don't let these people keep making millions at the expense of the elderly. Make them provide the care they are getting paid for.
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