Horrible Nursing Home to 89 YO stroke survivor: "We have ways of making you pay."

[demodonkey]

Please help -- this is my mother in Pennsylvania.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1659401&mesg_id=1659401

[Traveling_Home]

1. Ombudsman - PA

Pennsylvania
1 State Long Term Care Ombudsman
Wilmarie Gonzalez
State LTC Ombudsman
Pennsylvania Department of Aging
555 Walnut Street, 5th Floor
P.O. Box 1089
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.aging.state.pa.us/aging/site/default.asp

11 Local and Regional Ombudsmen
Marlea Hoyt
Supervisor
AAA For Tioga/Bradford/Sullivan Susquehanna
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
220 Main Street
Unit 2
Towanda, PA 18848-1822
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Bradford, Sullivan/Susquehanna/Tioga


2 Office on Aging
Nora Dowd Eisenhower
Secretary
Pennsylvania Department of Aging
555 Walnut Street
5th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17101-1919
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Charles Kane
Director
Bucks County AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
30 East Oakland Avenue
Doylestown, PA 18901
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Bucks county


3 Licensure and Certifications
William Bordner
Director
Pennsylvania Department of Health
Division of Nursing Care Facilities
P.O. Box 90
Harrisburg, PA 17108
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:www.health.state.pa.us

Joanne Kline
Executive Director
Montgomery Co. Human Service Center/Aging and
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
1430 DeKalb St.
P.O. Box 311
Norristown, PA 19404-0311
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:www.montcopa.org/mcaas
Area Served: Montgomery County


4 Medicaid Fraud Unit Control
William Helm
Director
Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of Pennsylvania
Office of The Attorney General
1600 Strawberry Square
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Traci Kline
Director
Franklin County AAA/Long Term Care Ombudsman
600 Norland Avenue
Suite 11
Chambersburg, PA 17201-3098
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Franklin county


5 Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrator
Chris Stuckey
State Board of Examiners for NHA
PO Box 2649
Harrisburg, PA 17105-2649
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Susan Kordish
Supervisor
Clearfield County AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
103 North Front Street
P.O. Box 550
Clearfield, PA 16830
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.ccaaa.
net


7 Quality Improvement Organization
Dan Jones
Chief Executive Officer
Quality Insights of Pennsylvania
2601 Market Place Street
Suite 320
Harrisburg, PA 17110
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Michael Kristovensky
Administrator
Lebanon County Area Agency on Aging
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
710 Maple Street, Room 209
Lebanon, PA 17046
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.lebcou
nty.org
Area Served: Lebanon county


8 Protection and Advocacy System
Kevin Casey
Executive Director
Disabilities Right Network
1414 N. Cameron Street
Suite C
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Shane Launer
Ombudsman Supervisor
Office of Human Services
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
P.O. Box A
Ridgeway, PA 15853
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]


9 Adult Protective Service Agency
Division Chief
Department of Aging
Office of Chief Counsel
555 Walnut Street
5th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17101-1919
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Robin LoDolce
Executive Director
Pike County AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
150 Pike County Boulevard
Hawley, PA 18428
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:www.pikeaaa.org
Area Served: Pike county


10 Citizen Advocacy Group
Diane Menio
Executive Director
CARIE
100 N 17th Street
Suite 600
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.carie.
org

Janet Long
Ombudsman Supervisor
Potter County AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
P.O. Box 241
62 North Street
Roulette, PA 16746-0241
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.potter
countyhumansvcs.org
Area Served: Potter County


11 Local and Regional Ombudsmen
Patricia Adams
Supervisor
Armstrong County AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
326 South Water Street
Kittanning, PA 16201
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Crystal Lowe
Exective Director
PA Association of Area Agencies on Aging
525 South 29th Street
Harrisburg, PA 17104
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.p4a.or
g


Trish Antesberger
Supervisor
Blair Senior Services, Inc.
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
1320 Twelfth Avenue
Altoona, PA 16601-3308
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Kathleen Lynn
Director
Columbia / Montour AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
702 Saw Mill Road
Suite 201
Bloomsburg, PA 17815-7727
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.cmaaa1
5.org
Area Served: Columbia, Montour counties


Marie Beauchamp
Executive Director
Schuylkill County Office of Senior Services
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
110 East Laurel Boulevard
Pottsville, PA 17901-2527
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Schuylkill county

Mary Ann May
Ombudsman
Legal Services of NE Pennsylvania, Inc
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
410 Bicentennial Building
15 Public Square, Suite 410
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701-1797
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Luzerne and Wyoming counties


Jacqueline Burch
Executive Director
Lancaster County Office on Aging
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
150 North Queen St.
Suite 301
Lancaster, PA 17602
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.co.lan
caster.pa.us/lanco_aging
Area Served: Lancaster county

Charlotte McCullough
Ombudsman
Aging Services, Inc.
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
1005 Oak Street
P.O. Box 519
Indiana, PA 15701-0519
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]


Elizabeth Burgwin
Ombudsman
Southwestern PA AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
305 Chamber Plaza
Charleroi, PA 15022-1607
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Washington, Fayette, Greene counties

John Mehler
Director
Northampton County AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
2154 Trevorton Road
Coal Township, PA 17866
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.northa
mptoncounty.org
Area Served: Northampton county


Theresa Butts
Supervisor
Delaware County Services of the Aging
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
206 Eddystone Avenue
Second Floor
Eddystone, PA 19022-1594
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Delaware County

Rachel Meyer
Ombudsman Supervisor
Perry County AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
Center Square
P.O. Box 725
New Bloomfield, PA 17068
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Perry county


Amy Cervone
Ombudsman Supervisor
Lawrence County AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
2706 Mercer Road
Shenley Square
New Castle, PA 16105
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.ccpgh.
org/challenges

Karen Miller
Ombudsman Supervisor
Active Aging, Inc.
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
1034 Park Avenue
Meadville, PA 16335
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Crawford County


Beverly Christ
Ombudsman Supervisor
Cumberland County Office of Aging
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
16 West High Street
Human Services Building
Carlisle, PA 17013-2922
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.ccpa.n
et

Christopher Minnich
Administrator
Northumberland County AAA
322 North Second Street
Sunbury, PA 17801
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]


Barbara Coffin
Executive Director
Berks County Office on Aging
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
633 Court Street
Reading, PA 19601-4303
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.berksa
ging.org
Area Served: Berks county

Cheryl Morris
Ombudsman
Adams County Office For Aging, Inc.
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
318 West Middle Street
Gettysburg, PA 17325
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.acofa.
org


Margaret Cook
Ombudsman
Monahan Center
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
445 Mount Thor Road
Greensburg, PA 15601
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Westmoreland county

Beverly Mowrey
Ombudsman
Experience, Inc. - AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
905 West Fourth Avenue
P.O. Box 886
Warren, PA 16365
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]


Patricia Corcoran
Ombudsman
Serving Seniors, Inc.
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
Scranton Life Building
Suite 408-410, 538 Spruce St.
Scranton, PA 18503-1816
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Leckewanna county

Andrea Murphy
Supervisor
Montgomery Co. Human Service Center/Aging and
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
1430 DeKalb St.
P.O. Box 311
Norristown, PA 19404-0311
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]


Patricia Crone-Zalinski
Director
Northumberland County AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
2154 Trevorton Road
Coal Township, PA 17866
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Northumberland county

Teresa Osborne
Executive Director
Lackawanna County AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
Lackawanna Co. Office Bldg.
200 Adams Avenue
Scranton, PA 18503
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.lackaw
annacounty.org
Area Served: Lackawanna county


Randy Davis
Director
Jefferson County AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
186 Main Street
Brookville, PA 15825
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.jcaaa.
org

Linda Petto
Ombudsman
Wayne Co. Area A on A
323 Tenth St.
Honesdale, PA 18431
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Wayne county


Carolyn DiMattio
Director
Greater Erie Community Action Committee
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
18 West Ninth Street
Erie, PA 16501
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.gecac.
org

Lynda Pickett
Ombudsman Project Manager
Philadelphia Corporation for the Aging
LTC Ombudsman Program
642 North Broad Street
The Wallace Building
Philadelphia, PA 19130-3409
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Philadelphia county


Ray DuCoeur
Administrator
AAA of Westmoreland County
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
200 South Main Street
Greensburg, PA 15601
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.co.wes
tmoreland.pa.us
Area Served: Westmoreland county

Frederick Shrimp
Director
Lycoming/Clinton Bi-County Office of Aging
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
2138 Lincoln Street
P.O. Box 3156
Williamsport, PA 17701
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Lycoming, Clinton counties


Tesi Dye
Ombudsman
Beaver County Office on Aging
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
1020 Eighth Avenue
Beaver Falls, PA 15010
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Tiffany Snook
Ombudsman Supervisor
Union/Snyder Counties Office for the Aging
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
116 North Second Street
Lewisburg, PA 17837
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Union, Snyder counties


Donna Eaves
Director
Department of Aging Services Chester County
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
601 Westtown Road, Suite 320
P.O. Box 2747
West Chester, PA 19380-0990
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Chester county

Ann Marie Spiardi
Director
Mercer County AAA, Inc.
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
133 North Pitt Street
Mercer, PA 16137-1206
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.mercer
countyaging.org
Area Served: Mercer county


Kurt Emmerling
Bureau Chief
Allegheny County Department of Aging
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
441 Smithfield St, 2nd Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2219
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Roberta Taylor
Administrator
Lawrence County AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
2706 Mercer Road
Shenley Square
New Castle, PA 16105
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.ccpgh.
org/challenges
Area Served: Lawrence county


Carol English
Supervisor
Centre County Office on Aging
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
Willowbank Building
420 Holmes Streets
Bellefonte, PA 16823-1488
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.co.cen
tre.pa.us/521.htm

Susan Taylor
Ombudsman Supervisor
Clarion County AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
12 Grant Street
Clarion, PA 16214
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]


Mary Beth Farrell
Director
Luzerne/Wyoming Counties
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
Bureau of The Aging
111 N Pennsylvania Blvd.
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.agingl
w.org

Carolyn Tenaglia
Ombudsman
Mid Penn Legal Services
315 N. Centre Street
#201
Pottsville, PA 17901-2512
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Schuylkill county


Marj Forster
Supervisor
Dauphin County AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
2 South Second Street
P. O. Box 1295
Harrisburg, PA 17101-2025
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Dauphin county

Pamela Tibbs
Ombudsman
Carbon County AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
401 Delaware Avenue
Third Floor
Palmerton, PA 18071
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]


Carlotta Fox
Ombudsman Supervisor
Venango County AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
1283 Liberty Street
P.O. Box 1130
Franklin, PA 16323
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Venango county

Pat Vaneman
Supervisor
Cambria County AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
Central Park Complex
110 Franklin Street, Suite 400
Johnstown, PA 15901-1831
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Cambria County


Patricia Fretz
Executive Director
Monroe County AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
724B Phillips Street
Stroudsburg, PA 18360
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Mike Wagner
Ombudsman (Supervisor)
York County AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
141 West Market Street
York, PA 17401
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.york-county.org/services/county.htm


Carol Goss
Ombudsman
Mifflin/Juniata AAA, Inc.
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
1 Buena Vista Circle
P.O. Box 750
Lewistown, PA 17044-0750
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.mjaaa.com
Area Served: Mifflin, Juanita counties

Pam Walker
Ombudsman
AAA of Somerset County
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
1338 South Edgewood Avenue
Somerset, PA 15501
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.somersetaaa.org


Susan Hardin
Ombudsman
Horizons Unlimited G.E.C.
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
333 East State Street
Media, PA 19063
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Delaware county

Rodney Williams
President
Philadelphia Corporation for the Aging
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
642 North Broad Street
The Wallace Building
Philadelphia, PA 19130-3409
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.pcaphl.org/ombud.html
Area Served: Philadelphia county


Anne Harvey
Ombudsman Supervisor
Bedford/Fulton/Huntingdon AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
240 Wood Street
P.O. Box 46
Bedford, PA 15522
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.nb.net
/~hbfaaa
Area Served: Huntingdon, Bedford, Fulton counties

Donna Zimmerman
Executive Director
Lehigh County AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
17 South Seventh Street
Room 230
Allentown, PA 18101-2400
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website:http://www.lehigh
county.org


Renee Hewitt
Ombudsman
Butler County AAA
Long Term Care Ombudsman Prog.
111 Sunnyview Circle
Suite 101
Butler, PA 16001-3547
Work: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Area Served: Butler county

[KT2000]

2. Second the ombudsman

the nursing home has to respond to the ombudsman with your questions within a certain amount of time.
Contact your state agencies too. If you are too much of a problem for them, they will transfer her out - after the money problem is resolved. In the meantime the poor care of your mother is their leverage.

I know what you are going through - nursing homes are thieves. It is all about the money and drugging people out of their minds so they are easier to deal with.
They may look good on the outside but if there is a problem with money, the neglect is real.

Do not trust the so-called social worker at the nursing home. Period.

Also - if your mother has a house - that is what they are after.

[man4allcats]

3. Also check out the information at

National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform, aka, NCCNHR. It is a huge site and arguably the most comprehensive in the nation. There is a lot of good stuff there and many resources, but don't allow yourself to get too bogged down in it just now. First you have to deal with the immediate problem, and that means contacting the ombudsman for the facility where your mother is located. Link # 1 on Traveling_Home's extensive list should be able to tell you how to contact the ombudsman for your mom's facility. The facility's ombudsman can help you in your dealings with the nursing home and can also tell you how to file a complaint against the nursing home with the State. Note that ombudsman quality varies considerably. If you get a good one that is not afraid to go toe-to-toe with the nursing home's administrator and other staff, they can be a great deal of help. Unfortunately, some are suck-ups more interested in pacifying the facilities than working in behalf of the residents - not unlike our Democratic congress actually. I have seen both types.

It is true, as KT2000 notes, that nursing homes will sometimes transfer a resident out of a facility if the family gives them what the facility deems an undue hard time. What nursing homes don't want families to know (but are ultimately required to state in the form of a registered/certified letter) is that they can appeal such decisions. In fact, transferring a resident out of a nursing home solely because a resident or family member justly and appropriately complains about quality of care is illegal. In such cases, it is considered retaliation against the resident even if the family member and not the resident is the one doing the complaining and is illegal because facilities are not allowed to retaliate against residents. I fought and won many battles over just this kind of crap when my mom was in a nursing home, but make sure you know whereof you speak. It is important to know something about the law governing nursing homes in your state. Generally this info is available on the web as a link somewhere in your state's site. Nursing homes will use every dirty trick they can think of so it is very important to educate yourself about just what is and is not legal. You don't have to get a law degree; just do some reading.

Also, find out if your facility has a Family Council (more on that here). If it does, get involved with it. It can be an invaluable resource. If it doesn't have one, consider starting one. The facility has no say in permitting the existence of a Family Council. They have to allow it. It's the law.

Another point made by KT2000 is don't trust the facility's social worker. That is good advice. The long-term care social workers I have known have only been interested in protecting the facility; not the facility's residents.

Finally, I would add that if your mom can generally function without the necessity of 24/7 professional care and can still manage her daily life activities such as walking safely, eating, toileting and bathing, even if she needs a little help, get her the hell out of there. I do realize that is not always an option. Sometimes it is just too costly for the elderly, because of the care they may need even if they can still get around reasonably well, to live outside a nursing home. In other instances, they may simply be too debilitated to live either by themselves or with family members. Still, nursing homes should only be a last resort. They may have idyllic sounding names like Autumn Acres and the front lobby that you see when you first walk in the building often looks quite nice, but beyond those electronically locked double doors that lead to the wards things are quite different.

Sorry for the lengthy post. All this just brings back ugly memories. My own mom is beyond the reach of this predatory industry now as she passed away two years ago. I fought every day for four years until her death on her behalf so it wasn't as bad for her as it was for some, but it did require constant vigilance on my part. You can PM me if you need help finding information. I live in Texas and so am not familiar with the Pennsylvania links, but I'll be happy to do a little surfing for you if you have difficulty. Good luck and best wishes.

[man4allcats]

4. Just doing a little nosing around and found this:

It looks like pretty much everything you need to know about Pennsylvania nursing homes can be found here.