|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
SAVING GRACE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Activities |
|
|
| ELDER ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| PSYCHO-SOCIAL/ CULTURAL ISSUES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AGING WITH HUMOR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GOALS FOR SAVING GRACE |
|
|
|
GRAY RIBBON CAMPAIGN |
|
|
|
PROJECTS |
|
|
|
|
ASSISTED LIVING |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ADVOCACY THOUGHT FOR THE DAY |
WELCOME TO THE "SAVING GRACE"
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY.
Here we will present a compilation of
thoughts, ideas and support for advocates
in long term care reform and ageing issues.
We encourage others who have information
to send their essays to
"Saving Grace"
We would also like to thank
Aunt Saddy this week for her
contribution concerning calling
911 when one finds problems in
any long term care setting.
NOTES FROM AUNT SADDY
911
It is my professional opinion the 911
should be used more frequently in NH's
situations.
Not only does this assist the resident
in obtaining immediate
help, but there is a public record of the call.
Many newspapers print the
local police/paramedic/fire plotter on a regular basis.
One lady shared the
following event with me.
She was visiting her mother at the NH
and per usual - lack of staff. The
residents were not receiving their meals, etc.
She called the local fire /
police depart. to come because the residents
were being neglected. When the
dept. responded to assist with
serving the trays, pushing wheelchairs and
responding to the lights,
not only did the residents receive necessary help
but there was again a public record.
It is again my professional opinion
as much attention as can be received by
outside local law enforcement and other
community individuals is very
important.
Another thought is to "tour" a
facility on a weekend evening
unannounced with several local legislators
for them to see first hand what is
really going on. (We did this)
The legislators were able to speak with the
residents without administrative oversight
and these residents did speak
freely.
When speaking with law enforcement,
my question has been "Why should this
situation at this NH (whatever it is)
be handled any differently than if you
were responding to a single dwelling resident
or apartment building
residence?
My thoughts for today.
D. Karas
  After injury, loss of wife, troubled home adds to pain
Friday, April 28, 2000
By HEATH FOSTER
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
"Frustrated, the grieving Reidy frantically called 911,
Highline Hospital, the state Attorney General's Office
and the local Veterans Affairs hospital.
When a nurse at the VA hospital told him
that legally, there had to be a nurse on duty,
he called the aide and demanded
that the nurse be summoned.
Eventually a police officer showed up.
He said there wasn't much he could do.
But a nurse did finally come
in to shift Reidy's body."
COMMENT
D. Karas in 911 promotes the calling of the police.
What happened in the case of Mr. Reidy?
Does this mean the police should
not be called as they are no help
or can be no help.
NO!
However,what is most concerning is that the police
officer could do or did nothing.
This situation points to the
urgent need for more training and
action in nursing home situations, by police officers
sheriff and fire departments. More oversight of
nursing homes is needed from the local
states attorney's office.
In any other context, the police officer
would have helped. Why not this one?
Do we lose all rights to systems and structures
of normal protection from abuses and neglect, once
a person enters a nursing home or long
term care context? If so? Why?
This is an excellent example
of the need for local police, sheriff's and fire
departments to gain and support the
need for elder and nursing home resident
abuse training and
to begin to serve the population
in nursing homes without prejudice
of the nursing home status of the
resident.
It is difficult to imagine and accept that
the "status of our residence" determines, defines
and limits our rights to normal protections afforded
the general populace that live in the community.
It is my belief that ADVOCACY FOR LONG TERM CARE
SHOULD INCLUDE SUPPORT AND DEMAND FOR A
NATION-WIDE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR POLICE OFFICERS
AND FIREMEN/WOMEN!
It would seem this would be a crucial
step in bringing law enforcement into
the 21rst century in methodologies
to handle abuses in the nursing home situation.
BANKRUPTCY GIVES NO ONE OR INSTITUTION OR
COMPANY THE EXCUSE OR RIGHT TO ALLOW ABUSE!!!!!
So long as we continue to allow these excuses
and justifications, they will continue to happen.
Businesses that care for the frail,
the injured, the sick,
the helpless, must be held to a higher standard.
After all, the industry does continually
tell us they are
the so called experts.
This is a DO OR DIE situation for those
needing assistance. If the nursing home
staff does not DO, the residents and patients
DIE OR SUFFER!
In this context, should not the standard for
the nursing home also be "DO OR DIE",
in the sense that they should be held
accountable.
What will stop this kind of neglect?
As one can see, this industry is about money.
Some believe that money is its guiding structure.
Some believe this guiding structure has escalated
into a greed to the point of addiction.
As in addiction recovery methods, the only way
to get an addict to recover is to allow them to
hit bottom.
In reality, is it no different, for the long-
term care industry? It seems, they will not
recover until they have hit the bottom
brought by bankruptcies and if necessary
law suits.
As the lessons learned from the addiction recovery
movement, it is after all AN ACT OF LOVE,
to stop enabling the addict and simply let
the addict hit their bottom.
Out of the ashes, maybe there will come a responsible
and effective long term care
Phoenix?
Thoughts from LB.
(This editorial does not necessarily reflect the
opinions of "Saving Grace" and brought to
you to open dialogue and debate on these issues.)
|
|
THOUGHTS FROM VIOLETTE KING
In a nutshell this is what I am told
is needed for criminal charges:
We need a provision in the federal laws
that will allow criminal charges to be filed
against individuals by federal agencies
for neglect and
abuse of nursing home residents.
FEDERAL AGENCIES CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT
IT AT THIS TIME UNLESS THEY GET
INVOLVED FOR FRAUD.
CRIMINAL CHARGES CAN THEN ARISE AS A
RESULT FROM THIS INVOLVEMENT.
THEY HAVE NO OTHER WAY TO GO
AFTER THEM CRIMINALLY AT THIS
TIME FOR NEGLECT AND ABUSE..
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS??????????
Here what is wrong with this:
The FEDS will only get
involved with fraud cases
if they deem the recovery to be worthwhile,
over $100,000.00--so mostly they do not get
involved because it it so much work.
It would be a great thing for all
of us to get together and push our
CONGRESSPEOPLE FOR A PROVISION
IN THE FEDERAL LAW
THAT WILL ALLOW THE FEDS
TO GO AFTER INDIVIDUALS
FOR NEGLECT AND ABUSE,
owners, administrators, nurses.
I have been told by a number of federal agents
that this is what is needed.
In every state, by and large,
the State's Attorneys and/or
the Prosecuting Attorneys
ignore and sit on these cases even after
the local police and state police
have investigated and found cause
for criminal charges.
In illinois, for example, we have 102 counties
with 102 different state's attorneys,
each one an elected official trying to get
re elected the next time do they do not want to
upset the nursing home industry.
There is no uniformity in
how the cases are handled.
We have never had criminal charges
against anyone for neglect
of a nursing home resident!!!!!
A federal law would be uniform for the
whole country and remove the local politics.
THOUGHTS FROM TOM FIELDS
In Response to this comment:
"We need a provision in the federal laws
that will ALLOW criminal charges
to be filed against individuals
by federal agencies for neglect and abuse of
nursing home residents "
I do not believe this would go far enough.
We need laws that REQUIRE law
enforcement to investigate complaints
in a timely manner,
REQUIRE criminal
charges to be filed, and
REQUIRE the courts to convict wrongdoers,
based upon specific evidence.
Even this might not be enough
without REQUIRING minimum
standards concerning the investigation.
Questions that need to be addressed include
* What evidence would REQUIRE law enforcement
to investigate complaints
* What should be REQUIRED
in such an investigation
* What evidence would REQUIRE charges to be filed
* What evidence would REQUIRE conviction
* What consequences should be REQUIRED
for law enforcement, prosecutors, and
judges who do not abide by such law
* What proof should be REQUIRED
that law enforcement, prosecutors, or judges
did not abide by such law
The elder abuse protocols
recommended by Harborview Medical Center, the Ohio
State Medical Association,
and others provide some initial direction.
However, these protocols
have tended to be vague and incomplete.
I believe
that advocates need to review
such proposals and submit their recommendations
to the centers that have drafted protocols.
Then together, with the support
of such clinical centers,
we can present our recommendations to the public
and the legislature.
|
|
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Texas attorney general web site
Elder portion encourages the use of 911
and Protective Services.
Web site
Office of the Attorney General of Texas
Quote:
This is from the Texas Attorney General's
web site Elderly.
If you suspect that an elderly or
disabled person is neglected or abused,
call 911 or local law enforcement
if the person is in immediate or severe
danger.
Or call the Texas Department
of Protective and Regulatory Services,
24-hour toll-free abuse hot line at
(800) 252-5400.
We need more publicity on this to get
the attention of the public and the
industry.
IF YOU LIVE IN ANOTHER STATE
CONTACT YOUR ATTORNEY GENERAL'S
OFFICE AND SEND THEM THIS URL.
ASK THAT YOUR STATE SUPPORT
PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THIS PROBLEM
AND PUBLIC AWARENESS
THAT 911
SHOULD BE CALLED!
|
|
|
