This morning I woke up with tears in my eyes, I had been dreaming about my Mother. It has been a while since I had felt that aching pain of loss. I think about my Mom and Dad often and the memories are not the painful kind. I am not sure what brought this dream on, but I imagine it is the approaching holiday season.
It is important to explain that I am a Christian, I believe in heaven and know Mom is on that list. I also believe we are supposed to forgive those that hurt us. I have forgiven those who I believe to be responsible for Mom's death.
So why do I continue to write about things that led to Moms death ? As a Christian am I not supposed to forget what happened. After all, people say that whatever happens " it is God's will ". Although this is supposed to be comforting, in some instances it is ridiculous. God gave people free will, that doesn't mean that whatever people do is God's will.
I believe that God needs soldiers who are willing to fight the evil that exists in todays society. I do not think we are supposed to let others treat people as they wish. To accept the mistreatment of elderly helpless patients in nursing homes is apprehensible. The willingness of the governing authorities to turn their heads and let this happen is infuriating. It is also obviously accepted by politicians, because they refuse to get involved in reform or enforcement of the laws.
I kept asking myself what reason would a politician have to ignore a situation that cries for reform. Why wont anyone listen to my concerns and act on the proof I have of wrongdoing, Medicare fraud, antitrust laws, and numerous DHSR regulations being violated regularly with no fear of repercussion. Isn't healthcare reform a major topic of both political parties at election time? Well this election cycle is over and nothing has changed.
I keep reading about how terrible the affordable care act is for our country, and how the Republicans want to repeal it. Yesterday I came across several articles that would make the following statement false. Here is a portion of one of the articles; Bill Frist is the former U.S. Senate Republican Majority Leader from Tennessee. During the heat of the health care reform debate, he sang the praises of President Obama's health care reform. His stance raises the question, "Why"? Then I found another article that answered the question. Here is the beginning of that article; One of the nation's biggest beneficiaries of the Affordable Care Act, Thomas Frist has seen his fortune rise by $1.5 billion, along with shares of his hospital conglomerate, HCA Holding. Is it a coincidence that they share the same last name, no it is father and son. What a gift to give your dad $1.5 billion dollars.
There is the problem, politicians owning the businesses that are benefitting from a lack of reform, and the lack of regulations being enforced. The Frist family doesn't care how many others woke up with tears this morning or any other morning. They care that their family is getting so rich they couldn't possibly spend all the money they are making. Here is a quote that explains it all, I'm not sure of the origin of the quote but I got it from my preachers Facebook post.
"But to demand justice where there is no righteousness, no interest in righteousness, no willingness to be righteous, is to demand to breath air under water. It cannot be." Does the Frist family have a willingness to be righteous? Is there any politician that has the willingness to be righteous, even at the cost of their political office? We can only hope so, but I am not very optimistic!
My mom died at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation a SanStone property. SanStone does not own it, but the owners of SanStone own most of the company that does. They also own Beystone in Fletcher, which is going to close when they finish construction of The Lodge in Mills River. Other SanStone properties include Stonecreek H&R, Madison H&R, Oak Forest H&R, Sanford H&R. According to the NC Secretary of State's office , this year they also registered properties in Anson County NC, Rutherford County NC and Wake County NC. Although this took place in April of 2014, I can only find record of one of them on the Medicare.gov nursing home compare website.
I have read articles about SanStone buying other homes, and actually had workers from these places contact me about their concerns. They were lied to about what was taking place and the next thing they were owned by SanStone.
I have found many reasons to believe that SanStone is politically connected to the same lawmakers as the Frist family. They are directly connected to Gerald P. Cox who is on the NC Medical Care Commission appointed by the Governor to administer the appropriations of government funds for building and improving nursing homes. I am sensing another lack of willingness to be righteous.
I forgive them for letting my Mother die without respect and dignity. However I will do everything I can to stop them from exploiting any other helpless elderly person. I could sure use all the help I can get, I am not wealthy enough to be heard nor do I have the support of the others in similar situations. Is this really going to be written off as " it's God's will " or are there other soldiers willing to fight? Are there people willing to be righteous?
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation and Sanstone, do your job, and earn all that Medicare money you're taking!
The third anniversary of Mom's death has come and gone and the memories of her last days are still haunting me. The fact is that Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation and SanStone are still being allowed to ignore NCDHSR regulations.
After Mom died I had to visit Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation several times to obtain records and such. After that I had no intention of ever going back there again. Then earlier this year, a member of my church family was admitted to Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. He was nearing the end of his life due to cancer. I'm not sure how I got the courage to go through those doors again, but I went to visit him there.
I drove up to the building that was so full of bad memories, parked my car and took a deep breath. Walking up to the door was one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do. Then when I stopped at the desk I was directed to his room. He was in room 101 A, it must have been a test or something. The same room and bed that Mom spent her last night in. I had not been in that room since November 2, 2011, the day before Mom died.
I walked down the main hallway feeling like the walls were closing in on me. I looked at every nurse and wondered if they had known my Mom. I actually walked by Tammy Mace, the nurse that found Mom the morning she died. I turned the corner and there was the desk where I was told Mom was not responding and had been sent to Pardee hospital. And then I turned the corner and there was the room, I hesitated for a moment then went into the room. There was my friend lying in the bed my Mother had died in.
That's when things changed, all I could think about was the man lying there knowing he was near the end of his life. I visited him regularly, and the other stuff seemed to go away. At first he was pretty much in bed every day when I arrived. I would sit on the edge of the bed and listen to his stories and tell him mine. As the days went on he was able to participate in some physical therapy. I would sit with him as he did as much therapy as he could. One day when I got there he actually took a short walk with a walker. He would ask about my day and I would ask about his.
As the days went on I started seeing the same things that I had seen in Mom's records. The nurse would come in and tell him they didn't have time for his shower that day. His oxygen mask didn't fit right and was cutting into his face .After several days they finally got one that fit him. His clothes were not always clean and he needed help reaching his water.
Then he started losing his strength and would be less able to participate in therapy. I asked if I could take him outside for a while. We sat in the sun and talked till he started getting cold. Then back inside for therapy, which didn't last very long. He was wheeled back to his room, and the nurse asked me to try to keep him in his wheelchair for another twenty minutes. While we were sitting there talking, he stopped talking momentarily. I asked what was wrong and he looked down to the floor where there was a puddle of urine. I asked if he wanted me to get him someone to help, he said he would just wait till they put him to bed. After ten minutes or so he asked me if I could get someone to change him. I went to the nurses desk and asked for help in getting him cleaned, the nurse told me to push the call light and someone would be in. It took at least another fifteen minutes till the nurse showed up. Then they just changed him and put him in bed.
He maintained his positive attitude but felt like he was a bother to his caregivers. More and more I realized that things were actually worse than we thought with Mom. They didn't even seem to care whether anyone saw how they treated their patients. They were always short of staff and the quality of care suffered. I would visit on weekends and there was hardly any staff at all.
My friend made it through his twenty one days that Medicare approves and he had to be moved. It was decided he would be moved to an assisted living facility. I visited him at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation the day before he was to be moved. The next day my family and I went out of town for spring break. He died the day I came back from my trip. The last time I got to visit him was in Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation.
I am thankful for our time together, I'm not sure who was actually helping who. Scott helped me get past many things and I hope I helped him in the end of his life. As Christians we talked about religion and our beliefs, but we also talked about food, driving and Family. I miss my friend but I know we will talk again some day.
Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation has no regards for the NCDHSR regulations. They have no fear of being cited or fined for their actions. The point of this story is that they were not providing adequate care in 2011, and they are not providing adequate care in 2014. The NCDHSR has no interest in finding violations or enforcing their own regulations now, and they had no interest in 2011 either. Based on the actions of the NCDHSR, elderly people have no right to be treated with dignity or respect while in a nursing home. Shame on them for what they allowed to happen to my Mother and my Friend.
After Mom died I had to visit Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation several times to obtain records and such. After that I had no intention of ever going back there again. Then earlier this year, a member of my church family was admitted to Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. He was nearing the end of his life due to cancer. I'm not sure how I got the courage to go through those doors again, but I went to visit him there.
I drove up to the building that was so full of bad memories, parked my car and took a deep breath. Walking up to the door was one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do. Then when I stopped at the desk I was directed to his room. He was in room 101 A, it must have been a test or something. The same room and bed that Mom spent her last night in. I had not been in that room since November 2, 2011, the day before Mom died.
I walked down the main hallway feeling like the walls were closing in on me. I looked at every nurse and wondered if they had known my Mom. I actually walked by Tammy Mace, the nurse that found Mom the morning she died. I turned the corner and there was the desk where I was told Mom was not responding and had been sent to Pardee hospital. And then I turned the corner and there was the room, I hesitated for a moment then went into the room. There was my friend lying in the bed my Mother had died in.
That's when things changed, all I could think about was the man lying there knowing he was near the end of his life. I visited him regularly, and the other stuff seemed to go away. At first he was pretty much in bed every day when I arrived. I would sit on the edge of the bed and listen to his stories and tell him mine. As the days went on he was able to participate in some physical therapy. I would sit with him as he did as much therapy as he could. One day when I got there he actually took a short walk with a walker. He would ask about my day and I would ask about his.
As the days went on I started seeing the same things that I had seen in Mom's records. The nurse would come in and tell him they didn't have time for his shower that day. His oxygen mask didn't fit right and was cutting into his face .After several days they finally got one that fit him. His clothes were not always clean and he needed help reaching his water.
Then he started losing his strength and would be less able to participate in therapy. I asked if I could take him outside for a while. We sat in the sun and talked till he started getting cold. Then back inside for therapy, which didn't last very long. He was wheeled back to his room, and the nurse asked me to try to keep him in his wheelchair for another twenty minutes. While we were sitting there talking, he stopped talking momentarily. I asked what was wrong and he looked down to the floor where there was a puddle of urine. I asked if he wanted me to get him someone to help, he said he would just wait till they put him to bed. After ten minutes or so he asked me if I could get someone to change him. I went to the nurses desk and asked for help in getting him cleaned, the nurse told me to push the call light and someone would be in. It took at least another fifteen minutes till the nurse showed up. Then they just changed him and put him in bed.
He maintained his positive attitude but felt like he was a bother to his caregivers. More and more I realized that things were actually worse than we thought with Mom. They didn't even seem to care whether anyone saw how they treated their patients. They were always short of staff and the quality of care suffered. I would visit on weekends and there was hardly any staff at all.
My friend made it through his twenty one days that Medicare approves and he had to be moved. It was decided he would be moved to an assisted living facility. I visited him at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation the day before he was to be moved. The next day my family and I went out of town for spring break. He died the day I came back from my trip. The last time I got to visit him was in Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation.
I am thankful for our time together, I'm not sure who was actually helping who. Scott helped me get past many things and I hope I helped him in the end of his life. As Christians we talked about religion and our beliefs, but we also talked about food, driving and Family. I miss my friend but I know we will talk again some day.
Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation has no regards for the NCDHSR regulations. They have no fear of being cited or fined for their actions. The point of this story is that they were not providing adequate care in 2011, and they are not providing adequate care in 2014. The NCDHSR has no interest in finding violations or enforcing their own regulations now, and they had no interest in 2011 either. Based on the actions of the NCDHSR, elderly people have no right to be treated with dignity or respect while in a nursing home. Shame on them for what they allowed to happen to my Mother and my Friend.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Three long years and still no answers.
On this day three years ago, mom was getting ready to go home. The staff at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation had determined that she had "reached her goals". In other words her Medicare would no longer cover her stay. She died early that morning.
It had been decided that she would stay at my sisters house for a while till she was strong enough to return home. The decision was ultimately Mom's to make and most of the family supported her. There were things to do and everyone was making sure Mom would have everything she needed when she was discharged.
During her stay at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, Mom had been participating in physical therapy and gaining strength every day. This would not have been necessary had she not been forced out of Memorial Mission Hospital before she was ready. Care Partners was a waste of valuable Medicare dollars, with no benefit to Mom's health from her stay there.
In the afternoon on November, 2 2011, my wife and son picked Mom up at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. The afternoon was spent going to the bank and then to Wal Mart, for a new pair of jeans to wear home. After shopping, Mom returned to Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation for her final night. Everything was going according to schedule.
Thursday November 3, 2011, at 5:07 am my cell phone rang. I was up and getting ready for work. I answered the phone and the voice on the other end told me that my Mother was not breathing and they were trying to resuscitate her, that's all she knew. I told my wife what was going on and drove over to Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. When I arrived I had to ring the bell to get in the door, it was like a ghost town, there was one girl that let me in and then I found Tammy Mace RN behind the desk on Mom's hall. She had no more information and told me they had taken Mom to Pardee Hospital by ambulance.
I drove straight to Pardee and pulled up just as they were wheeling a patient in from the ambulance, I'm sure it was Mom. I went into the emergency room and was told to wait out front. After five minutes or so they came and took me to the family room, where I waited for the Dr. to come. Another five minutes and DR. Boleman, and a nurse came in to tell me Mom never recovered consciousness and had died. Everything just stopped and I couldn't say anything. My wife and younger son arrived soon after and we all cried together. That was the beginning of this story, since that day I have been searching for the truth.
After all the documents and records I have been through and all the people I've spoken to, I still cant say for sure what actually happened. I believe that the fall Mom had sustained in the early morning hours of October 30 was the cause of her death. I have many reasons for my suspicions. I have documents that conflict witness statements, a " late entry " in the nurses notes concerning the fall. The same " late entry " on a separate page from all the other nurses notes was faxed somewhere the day before the NC State Medical examiners office refused to authorize an autopsy. Their decision was based on the review of Moms medical records they had obtained from Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation.
I believe that if Dr. Larry Joe Russell had examined her after the fall, she would still be alive. Lara Mooney Rn is the one who wrote the late entry concerning the fall. It was apparently her that decided Mom did not need to see a doctor. Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation is guilty of lying to protect their reputation. And the NCDHSR has allowed them to do so and refused to even look at the proof that I have. Three years and still no answers.
It had been decided that she would stay at my sisters house for a while till she was strong enough to return home. The decision was ultimately Mom's to make and most of the family supported her. There were things to do and everyone was making sure Mom would have everything she needed when she was discharged.
During her stay at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, Mom had been participating in physical therapy and gaining strength every day. This would not have been necessary had she not been forced out of Memorial Mission Hospital before she was ready. Care Partners was a waste of valuable Medicare dollars, with no benefit to Mom's health from her stay there.
In the afternoon on November, 2 2011, my wife and son picked Mom up at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. The afternoon was spent going to the bank and then to Wal Mart, for a new pair of jeans to wear home. After shopping, Mom returned to Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation for her final night. Everything was going according to schedule.
Thursday November 3, 2011, at 5:07 am my cell phone rang. I was up and getting ready for work. I answered the phone and the voice on the other end told me that my Mother was not breathing and they were trying to resuscitate her, that's all she knew. I told my wife what was going on and drove over to Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. When I arrived I had to ring the bell to get in the door, it was like a ghost town, there was one girl that let me in and then I found Tammy Mace RN behind the desk on Mom's hall. She had no more information and told me they had taken Mom to Pardee Hospital by ambulance.
I drove straight to Pardee and pulled up just as they were wheeling a patient in from the ambulance, I'm sure it was Mom. I went into the emergency room and was told to wait out front. After five minutes or so they came and took me to the family room, where I waited for the Dr. to come. Another five minutes and DR. Boleman, and a nurse came in to tell me Mom never recovered consciousness and had died. Everything just stopped and I couldn't say anything. My wife and younger son arrived soon after and we all cried together. That was the beginning of this story, since that day I have been searching for the truth.
After all the documents and records I have been through and all the people I've spoken to, I still cant say for sure what actually happened. I believe that the fall Mom had sustained in the early morning hours of October 30 was the cause of her death. I have many reasons for my suspicions. I have documents that conflict witness statements, a " late entry " in the nurses notes concerning the fall. The same " late entry " on a separate page from all the other nurses notes was faxed somewhere the day before the NC State Medical examiners office refused to authorize an autopsy. Their decision was based on the review of Moms medical records they had obtained from Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation.
I believe that if Dr. Larry Joe Russell had examined her after the fall, she would still be alive. Lara Mooney Rn is the one who wrote the late entry concerning the fall. It was apparently her that decided Mom did not need to see a doctor. Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation is guilty of lying to protect their reputation. And the NCDHSR has allowed them to do so and refused to even look at the proof that I have. Three years and still no answers.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
"SanStone our passion makes the difference" Really !!!!
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!
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 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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)