By: susan

susan — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:56:17 +0000

my mother is a resident of Oakland Care Center in Oakland.N.J.she has been there for almost 3 yrs. She has rheumatoid arthritis and is confined to this facility.She also has a fused left knee and a very old prosthesis in the right.You can see through the skin the metal prosthesis. She has been informed of what could happen if they do not amputate. Also she may not survive because of her declining health.About a year or so she fractured her tibia while she was in her wheelchair. 10 or so days after this incident she was screaming in pain now in the lower part of the same leg. I asked her did she remember what precipitaded the new severe pain . She said that she was being transferred from the gurney to the bed and the aids dropped her hard with no leg support and she immediately felt a sharp pain in the lower leg below the existing fracture and she and I felt that something else was wrong. I personally called her orthopedist and he repeated a bone scan that revealed a brand new fracture that was not on the first scan that was taken with the original scan taken just days before, Just a note-my father died there as a result of a shattered left hip. He was only there for temporary rehab not as a permanent.resident. My mother has told me about an assault by a CNA. and when she asks for their names she is refused. 2 days ago I walked in the facility at a time I never go. When I was coming down the I could hear a TV (my mom’s) at full volume. An aide was standing there at her door with her arms crossed saying nothing to my mom. My mom was laying in ffilth and pain crying and asked the aide to please help her. The aid had turned the volume to the max so she could could drown my mothers cries for help. I entered the room and immediately turned off the TV and asked the aid what was going on and she replied by saying my mother cries for help a lot and I replied “so you drown her out?’ I felt so bad for my Mom that she was at the mercy of these aids and she was unable to use a phone to call us. She was changed and when i saw the condition of her bottom I saw stage 1 of decubitus ulcers on both cheeks. Earlier in the day she asked to be taken to the hospital because of the pain she was in. The DR. on call said no. 2hrs later they found her on the floor. There was only 2 rails up at the time. No rails up for the end of the bed. She has NEVER fallen before EVER ! Sometimes they ttake her call bell and iput it out of reach so she is unable to call. I recently found a bottle of pills on her over-bed table that were for another resident and my mom was trying to open them. I was outraged to say the least and went to administration. They said that an aggregious error had been made and it too would be investigated internally.

Comments on: Elder Abuse in Nursing Home Caught on Video Tape

By: susan