OUTRAGEOUS! My 89 year-old stroke survivor mother threatened w JAIL by nursing home over paperwork

[demodonkey]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2680289#2680505

(OP repeated here)

http://kdka.com/kdkainvestigators/Woodhaven.Merle.Kuznik.2.628205.html

Like many people of all ages with disabilities, my mother needs therapy and CARE -- not being threatened with jail because we didn't get some paperwork filed fast enough to suit some for-profit nursing home.

BTW, the reason we didn't get it filed sooner is that my mother has been in the hospital since Dec. 15 with seizures and a broken hip! And lest you think she is a deadbeat, she does have insurance that will pay as long as she is getting therapy; her doctor has prescribed therapy but after a short time each round the nursing home keeps telling us and insurance that she doesn't "meet criteria", that she is "custodial", and that her insurance has been "cut". Then we go back to the doctor, get another prescription, and round and round we go on a vicious treadmill.

The nursing home employed passive-aggressive techniques on my mother as well such as patting her arm and saying that "her job is to get better" then in the next sentence they tell her they have "ways of making you pay." They 'lost' her glasses right before they sent an armed constable in to serve her the original papers in this suit to force her to apply for Medicaid.

Yes, I need a nursing home abuse lawyer. If you are one, or know one, please help.

In the meantime, my mother is still in the hospital, in terrible pain, and is not doing well today at all. I just hope she makes it. She is my best friend and only family left.

IF WE HAD FULL, COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CARE IN THIS COUNTRY, STUFF LIKE THIS WOULDN'T HAPPEN. Please, please someone get this to Edwards and the other campaigns and Michael Moore and Oprah too.

[samplegirl]

1. Wow I felt really bad to read this.

I went through this a few years back with my own mother and that in itself is enough to deal with. It's just insane to think our elderly is treated this way. Medicaid is joke now with all the cuts. Your mother would be lucky to get denture cleaner. Anyway hang in there and try to take care of yourself. It's terrible to see someone you love so much suffer.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. depends on your state,

Illinois has a specific statute that prevents nursing care abuse of elders.

check with your local bar association. It is likely that damages may include atty fees.

[Whoa_Nelly]

3. Have you contacted your Attorney General?

Tom Corbett
http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/

Insurance attorneys in your area:
http://lawyers.findlaw.com/lawyer/firm/Insurance-Law/Monroeville/Pennsylvania

medical malpractice attorneys in your area:
http://lawyers.findlaw.com/lawyer/firm/Medical-Malpractice/Monroeville/Pennsylvania

[acmavm]

4. Why does she have a broken hip? Negligence on the part of

the nursing home maybe?

[rubberducky]

5. Your story NEEDS to be heard.

K&R This is why my support goes to Edwards. Your plight is beyond rediculous, but without health care reform it will be the norm. Repubs value life, as long as it is in the womb. After that you are on your own. It`s called thinning the herd. If we die, oh, well, no great loss. You get the health care you can afford. God, I loath this administration and everything associated with it.

[defendandprotect]

6. This should be impossible!! But, that it's happening is a threat to all of us ---

I'll be voting for Edwards --- even if it's a write-in vote!!!


And trust that someone will be offering you some competent help against this for profit nursing home!!!

[mahina]

7. they are criminals!

:hug: Good luck advocating for your beautiful Mom.

[Traveling_Home]

8. Don't hesitate - Legislate

ADAPT

We are fighting so people with disabilities can live in the community with real supports instead of being locked away in nursing homes and other institutions.

Support the Community Choice Act
House - H.R. 1621
Senate - S.799

A COMMUNITY-BASED ALTERNATIVE TO NURSING HOMES AND INSTITUTIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For decades, people with disabilities, both old and young, have wanted alternatives to nursing homes and other institutions when they need long term services. Our long term care system has a heavy institutional bias. Every state that receives Medicaid MUST provide nursing home services, but community based services are optional. Sixty five percent of Medicaid long term care dollars pay for institutional services, while the remaining 25% must cover all the community based waivers, optional programs, etc.
Families are in crisis. When support services are needed there are no real choices in the community. Whether a child is born with a disability, an adult has a traumatic injury or a person becomes disabled through the aging process, they overwhelmingly wan t their attendant services provided in their own homes, not nursing homes or other large institutions. People with disabilities and their families will no longer tolerate being forced into selecting institutions. It's time for Real Choice.

The Community Choice Act provides an alternative and will fundamentally change our long term care system and the institutional bias that now exists. Building on the Money Follows the Person concept, the two million Americans currently residing in nursing homes and other institutions would have a choice. In addition, people would not be forced into institutions in order to get out on community services; once they are deemed eligible for the institutional services, people with disabilities and their families will be able to choose where and how they receive services. Instead of making a new entitlement, the Community Choice Act, makes the existing entitlement more flexible.

The Community Choice Act establishes a national program of community-based attendant services and supports for people with disabilities, regardless of age or disability. This bill would allow the dollars to follow the person, and allow eligible individuals, or their representatives, to choose where they would receive services and supports. Any individual who is entitled to nursing home or other institutional services will now be able to choose where and how these services are provided.


COMMUNITY CHOICE ACT NOW!

[Whoa_Nelly]

9. Another possible contact for info and/or help

http://www.elderadvice.com/pages/newsletter/sept_news/page_7.html

[demodonkey]

10. My post of this in GD has been taken over by three nursing home "supporters"

One of the other posters called them "nursing home flying monkeys". There are about three posters (or maybe it's the same person), who apparently work for the nusing home industry, and they have taken over the thread.

These "flying monkeys" (I like that term for them) have repeatedly posted the lie that I got my mother into the mess by "refusing" to apply for Medicaid on her behalf. This is not true, we applied in order to comply with this nursing home's outrageous demands (even though she still has insurance IF they were giving the therapy she was prescibed.)

They also think it is perfectly OK for nursing home CEO to make hundreds of millions at the expense of patient care (near the end of the thead someone pusted about Manor Care and the Carlyle group.)

It's attitudes like some of these "Democrats" that make it impossible for us to get change in the health care and disabilities services system.

Anyway, if anyone feels like talking to some flying monkeys (probably won't do a lot of good, except show that a lot of people don't agree with them) here's the thread in GD. I have alerted on them (because of them repeatedly posting a false statement personally against me) but my continuing is just too hurtful. I'm too worried sick about my mother, who is not doing well.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2680289#2680505