Old people die!!
Has anyone ever told you that before? I have heard it over and over again since November. I realize that we are all going to die sooner or later. Does that mean if you die from a medication error or complications from an accidental fall, that it doesn't matter? Beleive me it matters when it is your Mother. It matters to all of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, as well as neices, nephews and other family members.
I realize that ther is nothing that can bring her back, or change what happened. Sometimes just knowing what really happened can provide comfort. It's not about blame, or making someone "pay' for your loss. It's about identifying a serious problem, and trying to fix it!
I think the agencies that oversee the care of the elderely, dont follow through. If they did ,someone would have to figure out how to fix the system. No one agency can fix all thats wrong, but someone has to start. It will take all the agencies working together, and enforcing the regulations rather than ignoring them. It would mean following through with the enforcement of the regulations. It would mean actually earning their paychecks. Simply put ,just doing their jobs would start the necessary changes to fix whats wrong.
It's similar to the way they dealt with terrorisim, the F.B.I. the C.I.A. the D.O.D and local and Federal government agencies working together for one goal.
Cooperation between the NCDHHS, the Board of Nursing, the Medical Board, and local and State agencies,working together without corruption . That would improve the system 100%. Get off your lazy ass and do your job. It's that simple.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
90% of U.S. Nursing Homes have staffing levels too low to provide adequate care!
Current number of people living in Nursing Homes 1.4 Million. Defficiencies in care was 31% higher in for - profit nursing homes than not for profit nursing homes.
In the year 2000 there were 3.4 billion dollars in suspicious accounting transactions identified by US News and World Report.
In 2003, there were 20,673 complaints of abuse, gross neglect, and exploitation on behalf of nursing home and board and care residents. This does not include the unlucky ones that had no one to watch out for them or had medical conditions like dementia, and could not speak for themselves.
The number of incidents of elder abuse reported to authorities was 1 in 14.
These facts were taken from an article published by The American Association for Justice
http://www.justice.org/cps/rde/justice/hs.xsl/3005.htm
These facts should alarm anyone. What if you or your loved one end up in one of the 90% of homes that are not staffed to provide adequate care? What if they are the one out of fourteen who suffer abuse? Is there Justice, I have not seen any Justice in regards to the treatment my Mother received at Hendersonville Health and Rehab. I have been reviewing records from NCDHHS website, and according to the low number of "substantiated" complaints filed, neither have a lot of other people.
What needs to happen to make them pay attention to the abuse, and enforce some kind of Justice? Maybe they should be forced to live in one of these facilities and be at the mercy of these " Caregivers". In my mind that would be justice!
I am most certain that when they or their loved ones need one of these facilities, they are placed in the 10% that have appropriate staffing levels to provide adequate care. They probably make up the majority of residents in that 10%. What about the rest of us? Who is looking out for us, the NCDHHS, thats who. Are they doing their job, or are they turning their heads in order to live a certain lifestyle? I know in Mom's case they chose to turn their heads and let Hendersonville Health and Rehab get away without a single defficiency.
Get involved and make a difference before you or someone you care about falls into the hands of these reckless profiteers!
Current number of people living in Nursing Homes 1.4 Million. Defficiencies in care was 31% higher in for - profit nursing homes than not for profit nursing homes.
In the year 2000 there were 3.4 billion dollars in suspicious accounting transactions identified by US News and World Report.
In 2003, there were 20,673 complaints of abuse, gross neglect, and exploitation on behalf of nursing home and board and care residents. This does not include the unlucky ones that had no one to watch out for them or had medical conditions like dementia, and could not speak for themselves.
The number of incidents of elder abuse reported to authorities was 1 in 14.
These facts were taken from an article published by The American Association for Justice
http://www.justice.org/cps/rde/justice/hs.xsl/3005.htm
These facts should alarm anyone. What if you or your loved one end up in one of the 90% of homes that are not staffed to provide adequate care? What if they are the one out of fourteen who suffer abuse? Is there Justice, I have not seen any Justice in regards to the treatment my Mother received at Hendersonville Health and Rehab. I have been reviewing records from NCDHHS website, and according to the low number of "substantiated" complaints filed, neither have a lot of other people.
What needs to happen to make them pay attention to the abuse, and enforce some kind of Justice? Maybe they should be forced to live in one of these facilities and be at the mercy of these " Caregivers". In my mind that would be justice!
I am most certain that when they or their loved ones need one of these facilities, they are placed in the 10% that have appropriate staffing levels to provide adequate care. They probably make up the majority of residents in that 10%. What about the rest of us? Who is looking out for us, the NCDHHS, thats who. Are they doing their job, or are they turning their heads in order to live a certain lifestyle? I know in Mom's case they chose to turn their heads and let Hendersonville Health and Rehab get away without a single defficiency.
Get involved and make a difference before you or someone you care about falls into the hands of these reckless profiteers!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Just something to think about:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
Monday, July 23, 2012
The North carolin Board of Nursing.
"Serving the Public through Regulatory Excellence".
I guess that should make us all feel like we are protected from any act that a nurse might be involved in? I can assure you in my Mothers case there were not a whole lot of regulations.
I sent them a signed notarized statement claiming that Lara Mooney LPN, had been less than honest about an incident that she was involved in. Ms. Mooney's story was not even close to what actually happened, and was not filed until one month after my Mother died.
According to Linda Burhans RN, Phd, FRE, the Associate Executive director of the North Carolina Board of Nursing, both reports put Mom in the floor. Other than that there was nothing similar between the two accounts of what happened that night. That did not concern Ms Burhans enough to "Serve the Public through Regulatory Excellence ". They found no problem with the fact that Lara Mooney LPN had lied about what happened.
I contacted Ms Burhans via email two times, and asked for clarification on what she had told me on the phone. The day I spoke to her I was driving, and could not take notes. Today, i received a letter from Linda Burhans at the North Carolina Board of Nursing. The letter stated "The North Carolina Board of Nursing is extremely sympathetic to your situation and your desire to closure in this matter." ( My Mothers Death ). Then she continued " You have indicated that you have copies of your Mothers medical records, so you have the opportunity to review and draw your own conclusions based on the information that you have."
"Really" Thats exactly what made me file a complaint with the North Carolina Board of Nursing in the first place!
Then Ms Burhans, Executive Director of the North Carolina Board of Nursing writes , "You are entitled to be told the outcome of the Board's investigation" , but " You are not entitled to the actual investigative report or for us to engage in specific discussion of how we reached that conclusion". In other words you have no right to the information that was used to determine that your " witness" account was accurate or not. In other words we didn't do anything, and we dont have to tell you why.
I'm sure the fact that a certain individual ( who happens to have a connection to this facility) sponsors a nursing scholarship program. Or that the same person is on the Executive committee at the NCDHHS, has anything to do with their decision. I wonder if Ms Burhans might have been a recipient of a scholarship?
Corruption seems to be the normal way of conducting business within these agencies that are protecting the public. It's time for the politicians to take notice, and protect their constituents rights!
I expect that to happen any day now!
Take action against the circle of corruption and greed that controls your destiny. Write a letter to a Congressman or Senator expressing your concern about something that matters to you. Then see how long it takes to get a response.
"Serving the Public through Regulatory Excellence".
I guess that should make us all feel like we are protected from any act that a nurse might be involved in? I can assure you in my Mothers case there were not a whole lot of regulations.
I sent them a signed notarized statement claiming that Lara Mooney LPN, had been less than honest about an incident that she was involved in. Ms. Mooney's story was not even close to what actually happened, and was not filed until one month after my Mother died.
According to Linda Burhans RN, Phd, FRE, the Associate Executive director of the North Carolina Board of Nursing, both reports put Mom in the floor. Other than that there was nothing similar between the two accounts of what happened that night. That did not concern Ms Burhans enough to "Serve the Public through Regulatory Excellence ". They found no problem with the fact that Lara Mooney LPN had lied about what happened.
I contacted Ms Burhans via email two times, and asked for clarification on what she had told me on the phone. The day I spoke to her I was driving, and could not take notes. Today, i received a letter from Linda Burhans at the North Carolina Board of Nursing. The letter stated "The North Carolina Board of Nursing is extremely sympathetic to your situation and your desire to closure in this matter." ( My Mothers Death ). Then she continued " You have indicated that you have copies of your Mothers medical records, so you have the opportunity to review and draw your own conclusions based on the information that you have."
"Really" Thats exactly what made me file a complaint with the North Carolina Board of Nursing in the first place!
Then Ms Burhans, Executive Director of the North Carolina Board of Nursing writes , "You are entitled to be told the outcome of the Board's investigation" , but " You are not entitled to the actual investigative report or for us to engage in specific discussion of how we reached that conclusion". In other words you have no right to the information that was used to determine that your " witness" account was accurate or not. In other words we didn't do anything, and we dont have to tell you why.
I'm sure the fact that a certain individual ( who happens to have a connection to this facility) sponsors a nursing scholarship program. Or that the same person is on the Executive committee at the NCDHHS, has anything to do with their decision. I wonder if Ms Burhans might have been a recipient of a scholarship?
Corruption seems to be the normal way of conducting business within these agencies that are protecting the public. It's time for the politicians to take notice, and protect their constituents rights!
I expect that to happen any day now!
Take action against the circle of corruption and greed that controls your destiny. Write a letter to a Congressman or Senator expressing your concern about something that matters to you. Then see how long it takes to get a response.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
A few months ago, I had contacted a local Congressman in regards to the situation with the various agencies, "watching" out for the elderley. After my first email, I received a phone call from his office. I spoke to someone and explained my concerns, and asked for help or direction. After not hearing back from them for two months, I started emailing them again, asking if they were going to help or not.
I finally got an email back from Congressman Shulers office! The first person that had called me was Myrna Campbell. During our first phone conversation, she listened to my concerns, then suggested I call the Ombudsman's office. I explained that we were well past that phase of resolving this problem. I went on to tell her what steps I had taken to get NCDHHS to do their job enforcing their own regulations.
I was somewhat amused when the recent email gave me the name and number of a woman at the Ombudsmans office. I guess Myrna had forgotten everything I had told her two months ago.
I figured that maybe she knew something that I didn't about the Ombudsman's office, so I called them. The woman I spoke to was very nice, and of course she was so sorry about the loss of my Mother. After speaking with her and retelling the whole story again, she asked me about my religious beliefs, and warned me about bitterness. I asked her if she had received complaints from residents at Hendersonville Health and Rehab. Knowing how horrible my Mother was treated there, I figured she had. She told me her job was to mediate between the families of residents, and the management of the properties, and she had dealt with several complaints from there. I'm just guessing, that her job is to keep people from contacting the NCDHHS if possible.
The system is broken. People are suffering from lack of care, and some, like Mom are dying. There is a huge wall built between the general public, and the extremely wealthy owners of these properties. They have no fear of being held accountable for what happens at their homes. Why should they worry, they have at least one of their own on the committee at NCDHHS. How can you expect any complaints to be "substantiated" when they are investigating themselves? Is this corruption, you decide.
Definition of Corruption:
1.Lack of integrity or honesty (especially susceptibility to bribery); use of a position of trust for dishonest gain
2. In government it is when an elected representative makes decisions that are influenced by vested interest rather than their own personal or party ideological beliefs.
3. The act of corrupting or of impairing integrity, virtue, or moral principle; the state of being corrupted or debased; loss of purity or integrity; depravity; wickedness; impurity; bribery.
THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!
I finally got an email back from Congressman Shulers office! The first person that had called me was Myrna Campbell. During our first phone conversation, she listened to my concerns, then suggested I call the Ombudsman's office. I explained that we were well past that phase of resolving this problem. I went on to tell her what steps I had taken to get NCDHHS to do their job enforcing their own regulations.
I was somewhat amused when the recent email gave me the name and number of a woman at the Ombudsmans office. I guess Myrna had forgotten everything I had told her two months ago.
I figured that maybe she knew something that I didn't about the Ombudsman's office, so I called them. The woman I spoke to was very nice, and of course she was so sorry about the loss of my Mother. After speaking with her and retelling the whole story again, she asked me about my religious beliefs, and warned me about bitterness. I asked her if she had received complaints from residents at Hendersonville Health and Rehab. Knowing how horrible my Mother was treated there, I figured she had. She told me her job was to mediate between the families of residents, and the management of the properties, and she had dealt with several complaints from there. I'm just guessing, that her job is to keep people from contacting the NCDHHS if possible.
The system is broken. People are suffering from lack of care, and some, like Mom are dying. There is a huge wall built between the general public, and the extremely wealthy owners of these properties. They have no fear of being held accountable for what happens at their homes. Why should they worry, they have at least one of their own on the committee at NCDHHS. How can you expect any complaints to be "substantiated" when they are investigating themselves? Is this corruption, you decide.
Definition of Corruption:
1.Lack of integrity or honesty (especially susceptibility to bribery); use of a position of trust for dishonest gain
2. In government it is when an elected representative makes decisions that are influenced by vested interest rather than their own personal or party ideological beliefs.
3. The act of corrupting or of impairing integrity, virtue, or moral principle; the state of being corrupted or debased; loss of purity or integrity; depravity; wickedness; impurity; bribery.
THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Today I spoke to someone at the North Carolina Board of Nursing. Apparently, it is not a requirement for a nurse to tell the truth in North carolina. As long as their statement has one or two words in common with the opposing statement, it's ok with them. I was told that Lara Mooney was strongly cautioned for not filing the proper report as required. I was then told that Lara Mooney had done nothing wrong? I asked if it was the policy of the NC Board of Nursing to strongly caution people if they had done nothing wrong. The response was that she had done something wrong, but not wrong enough to be reprimanded.
People in the medical profession are no longer concerned whether or not they are reported to their governing agencies. It is starting to look like the agencies are there to protect the practicioner from any sort of diciplinary action. We have filed complaints with the NC Board of Nursing, The NCDHHS, the NC Medical Board and the NC Pharmacy Board. Each complaint was filed refrencing a particular regulation that was violated. Evedince was provided. The results were basically the same in all cases. Everyone we spoke to was so sorry about the loss of our Mother, however they could not find anything that deserved any disciplinary action or further investigation.
If any person files charges against and any other person, the police or sheriffs department will question anyone who may provide information regarding the charges. Then both sides get the opportunity in court to present their case. All pertinent facts are considered.
If you file a complaint against a Doctor, Nurse, or Nursing Home, the process gets twisted. Your complaint gets reduced to one of their regulations. Then it gets "investigated" by a person or committee that is supposed to be looking out for the public. Then it gets dismissed because there is no substantiated evedince of wrongdoing. Maybe they are so used to seeing the terrible things that are happening, that they just assume that it is business as usual.
I know my family and friends are getting tired of hearing about it. I also know it is important. I have had more than one person contact me in regards to the services of a practicioner or nursing home. That is what this is about, please read and pass along to as many people as you can. I gurantee that someone you know could or will eventually find our information useful.
People in the medical profession are no longer concerned whether or not they are reported to their governing agencies. It is starting to look like the agencies are there to protect the practicioner from any sort of diciplinary action. We have filed complaints with the NC Board of Nursing, The NCDHHS, the NC Medical Board and the NC Pharmacy Board. Each complaint was filed refrencing a particular regulation that was violated. Evedince was provided. The results were basically the same in all cases. Everyone we spoke to was so sorry about the loss of our Mother, however they could not find anything that deserved any disciplinary action or further investigation.
If any person files charges against and any other person, the police or sheriffs department will question anyone who may provide information regarding the charges. Then both sides get the opportunity in court to present their case. All pertinent facts are considered.
If you file a complaint against a Doctor, Nurse, or Nursing Home, the process gets twisted. Your complaint gets reduced to one of their regulations. Then it gets "investigated" by a person or committee that is supposed to be looking out for the public. Then it gets dismissed because there is no substantiated evedince of wrongdoing. Maybe they are so used to seeing the terrible things that are happening, that they just assume that it is business as usual.
I know my family and friends are getting tired of hearing about it. I also know it is important. I have had more than one person contact me in regards to the services of a practicioner or nursing home. That is what this is about, please read and pass along to as many people as you can. I gurantee that someone you know could or will eventually find our information useful.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Before my grandmother died she was in a nursing home. At the time I would go and visit her. I didn't feel comfortable in the surroundings of the home. It was easy to walk down the halls and not look at anyone else. I didn't visit as much as I should have, because I felt uncomfortable. Then one morning, my Mother called me and told me that my Grandmother had died.
Mimi was what we all called her. She had more influence on my life than anyone else I knew. Even in the lowest point in my life, she was always there for me. When I was a teenager, one of my friends and I hitch hiked to Miami. We showed up at the Catholic condo tower that Mimi lived in on the beach. The nuns at the front desk were somewhat nervous to see two ragged looking, long haired young men walk through the doors, and get on the elevator.
We knocked on the door, and Mimi greeted us with hugs and kisses. After visiting with her for a while, she cooked us dinner, followed by Haagen Das rum raisin ice cream. She then called the front desk and had them bring up a folding bed, and made the couch up for us to sleep.
After all she had done for me throughout my life, in the end I didn't visit her because it made "me" uncomfortable. How sad is that ?
When my Mother ended up at Hendersonville Health and Rehab, I visited her every day. I think back on it now, and I realize that I still walked down the halls and avoided eye contact with most of the other residents. I remember the strange screams coming from the room across the hall from Moms room the first night she was there. I remember the woman that would call out for Jenny all the time. I think about the man in a wheelchair pushing the woman in the wheelchair to the icecream parlor one afternoon. All of these people were special to someone at one time or another. They deserve to properly cared for and treated with respect.
I can't say for sure that all of them were neglected , but from what I saw at Hendersonville Health and Rehab, it is more likely than not. Hendersonville Health and Rehab, is a for profit home. It is run by a group that appears to be more intrested in money than people. I'm sure there are people working at Hendersonville Health and Rehab that actually care for the residents. I'm also sure that there are many working there, that walk down the halls avoiding eye contact with the residents, just as I did. They are so short staffed that if they make eye contact with a resident, that resident will probably need something.
The NCDHHS is responsible for inspecting and investigating complaints at these facilities. If you look at the list of complaints filed against them, you will see the phrase " No defficiencies found". This is the standard response from the NCDHHS, to most complaints. I would gurantee that if you were to walk the halls of almost any of these homes, you would find more than one defficiency. I know that at Hendersonville Health and Rehab, I witnessed more defficiencies than I could list.
It's time for NCDHHS to do their job. This would probably mean that they wouldn't get invited to the golf tournament at Kenmure. It may even affect their personal income, or the car they drive, or the college their children attend. It is still their job!!!
Mimi was what we all called her. She had more influence on my life than anyone else I knew. Even in the lowest point in my life, she was always there for me. When I was a teenager, one of my friends and I hitch hiked to Miami. We showed up at the Catholic condo tower that Mimi lived in on the beach. The nuns at the front desk were somewhat nervous to see two ragged looking, long haired young men walk through the doors, and get on the elevator.
We knocked on the door, and Mimi greeted us with hugs and kisses. After visiting with her for a while, she cooked us dinner, followed by Haagen Das rum raisin ice cream. She then called the front desk and had them bring up a folding bed, and made the couch up for us to sleep.
After all she had done for me throughout my life, in the end I didn't visit her because it made "me" uncomfortable. How sad is that ?
When my Mother ended up at Hendersonville Health and Rehab, I visited her every day. I think back on it now, and I realize that I still walked down the halls and avoided eye contact with most of the other residents. I remember the strange screams coming from the room across the hall from Moms room the first night she was there. I remember the woman that would call out for Jenny all the time. I think about the man in a wheelchair pushing the woman in the wheelchair to the icecream parlor one afternoon. All of these people were special to someone at one time or another. They deserve to properly cared for and treated with respect.
I can't say for sure that all of them were neglected , but from what I saw at Hendersonville Health and Rehab, it is more likely than not. Hendersonville Health and Rehab, is a for profit home. It is run by a group that appears to be more intrested in money than people. I'm sure there are people working at Hendersonville Health and Rehab that actually care for the residents. I'm also sure that there are many working there, that walk down the halls avoiding eye contact with the residents, just as I did. They are so short staffed that if they make eye contact with a resident, that resident will probably need something.
The NCDHHS is responsible for inspecting and investigating complaints at these facilities. If you look at the list of complaints filed against them, you will see the phrase " No defficiencies found". This is the standard response from the NCDHHS, to most complaints. I would gurantee that if you were to walk the halls of almost any of these homes, you would find more than one defficiency. I know that at Hendersonville Health and Rehab, I witnessed more defficiencies than I could list.
It's time for NCDHHS to do their job. This would probably mean that they wouldn't get invited to the golf tournament at Kenmure. It may even affect their personal income, or the car they drive, or the college their children attend. It is still their job!!!
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