Monday, March 2, 2015

Fault Lines: Elderly Incorporated

Elder abuse and neglect is one of America’s fastest growing crimes targeting one of its most vulnerable populations. In long-term care facilities, cases are largely out of view and underreported. As a result, countless elderly victims are suffering alone in silence.

One in 3 patients are in facilities failing to meet basic care requirements, while more than $5 billion went to substandard homes in one year alone, according to the U.S. government. Many nursing homes reported staffing levels insufficient to provide adequate care, including some of the largest for-profit chains in the U.S., says one study. Enforcement agencies say they are limited by new budget cuts.

Source:
Fault Lines: Elderly Incorporated

4 comments:

Michelle said...

One in three? I would imagine it's worse than that.

Anonymous said...

Regardless of how polite and how many times I ask I have no idea where Mom even is. I've never been given a reasonable report as to her medical condition, it's manifestation, extent, and severity. I was advised by a medical doctor that Mom's best and most favorable chances of "coping" are amidst a caring family.

Info please? I called the county court and they had no records. I called several attorneys and they weren't interested, not like I could afford one. Early on, before I was 'blacklisted', I'd call the "facilities" er, 'prisons', who eventually told me in a finalist tone that they were banned to silence under HIPPA.

I asked under what POA or court order they were operating? "We can't tell you, call your siblings" they said. I called my siblings but they don't answer phones or return messages and toy with me in emails, if they answer at all. Another 'prison' forwarded me to their nurse manager who in turn wouldn't return my calls no matter what and even when I firmed my tone of voice.

I sought relatives to intervene and I sought other 'undisclosed' contacts but to no avail. Government elder agencies were of no help unless I had blatant institutional abuse to report.

Here I remain: an orphan of the court of information. No one, no where knows anything. If they do, they can't tell me because they "will lose their job". Mom is jailed, has been restrained, was drugged and may still be, hopefully not. She over and over again told me she wants out, and tried to "escape", more than once.

Mom is a very, very smart lady with one caveat--she has always lacked common sense and/or interest to even complete simple forms. Mom has always, did I say always? been this way. She could not even help me to fill out my college financial aid forms some thirty six years ago when Mom was a tender forty two years of age! She had trouble with her checkbook always (I inherited that but the computer 'fixed' me). All to say, her indiscretion led her to defecate all over one place in hopes of getting expelled which only sent her to a psych ward which ammo'd up my siblings' et al argument for guardianship.

Mom could flare a temper always but my siblings' et al tempers and profanity make mom look like a nice person. Meanwhile they likely portray themselves to strangers, case workers, nurses, doctors and the court as cultured and accomplished.

There is nothing left I can do. The law is worthless. Along with "wally-world" we have "girly-world" where an otherwise impotent, uneducated, antagonist such as my sister enabled by my brother wreak havoc on our mother, at least from what little I know.

In the bible we know Cain killed Able.. I thought or kind of assumed that Cain's spirit died with him upon his final summons. I thought wrong, it's still here.

NASGA said...

Anonymous, We are so sorry for what you're going through and all the worry about your Mom.

You might try going to the court house in person and reading the file. Oftentimes there's a hint in the filings.

In most states, a guardianship ward cannot be taken out of the state without approval from the court. Some states have even stricter limitations and require a court order to move even to the next county.

We hope you'll find some gem hidden in the files that will help you find your Mother.

Anonymous said...

Working on the file. Is it a valid concern that state would assign its own guardian as a form of dispute resolution?

My siblings et al are detestable and vile but I'd rather them than the state's 'wholesaler' to be Mom's guardian--due to me entering a petition that siblings et al will invariably challenge.