Jason B. called me about 10 days after his father William had a stroke and was admitted to a Brooklyn hospital. William was seriously ill. Besides the stroke, he had a serious infection. William’s physician informed Jason that his father could be transferred to a nursing home for continued care. A case manager had also contacted Jason informing him that his dad was going to be transferred to Brooklyn nursing home that was close to his mother’s house.
I warned Jason that he should strenuously refuse this transfer and allow MEA to intervene. However, Jason succumbed to the pressure and allowed the transfer. At that point, I asked him to allow MEA to advocate for his father at this appalling place or to facilitate his transfer to a better facility. Jason said he did not want to “make waves.”
William stayed at the Brooklyn nursing home for two weeks. Although he had not fully recovered from his infection his physician at the home took him off antibiotics without first ordering an X-Ray. Three days later Jason’s mom Daniella went to visit her husband and found him unresponsive. He was rushed to the hospital where he died a few hours after arrival.
I learned about this when Jason called me for the name of a personal injury attorney.
Helen G. called me about three years ago to let me know that her mother Agatha had fallen and broken her hip. She was rushed to a major Nassau County facility. Agatha –– a sweet and gentle woman of 87 –– was not faring well living at home by herself. She was not eating properly and not taking her medications. After she fell in her apartment, she spent 16 hours on the floor before a neighbor asked the superintendent to open her door.
I suggested that Helen retain My Elder Advocate to advocate for her mother at the hospital in order to make sure that she would not be discharged into a poor nursing home for rehab. However, Helen felt that she could handle everything on her own.
Eight days later Helen received a call from a nursing home located 15 miles from Agatha’s home. They wanted Helen to give them some information about her mother. Helen was shocked and thought there must be some mistake. She thought her mom was still at the hospital. Helen called her mother’s social worker and was told that Agatha’s doctor was supposed to call her. Helen called the doctor. He said that the case manager was supposed to call her.
Agatha spent three days at a horrible and dangerous facility. She developed a respiratory infection, became dangerously dehydrated, and was sent back to the same hospital a lot sicker than when she left. Helen finally called MEA into the case. My Elder Advocate became her advocate at the hospital and made sure that she was nursed back to a point where she could be discharged to an excellent facility.
Agatha was transferred to the best nursing home in the state. She received physical and occupational therapy and recovered some of her health. Unfortunately she would never be able to go home again. She became a long-term care resident and is thriving, three years later.
