My Mom had been in a nursing home but is in the hospital now-the place neglected her?

Question

She had been sick this whole week and my sister had been there every day. They told my sister that her blood work suggested she had an infection of some sort and they did an x-ray (said it was clear). This was Wed. a.m. and the doctor there prescribed antibiotics. They were never given to her!
This morning two of my sisters called an ambulance and now she is thankfully in the hospital but she has pneumonia, a severe bladder infection (her urine looke liked coffee!) and her blood was way too thin.
She may not make it and I can deal with this since she is in poor health and 82, but that is rediculous that they hadn't given her any antibiotics as prescribed and hadn't even checked her urine!
We aren't ones to sue but something should be done, shouldn't it?
Advice?

Answer 1

I feel aweful for you, I truely do. I have been working in nursing and assisted living facilities for 7 years. I was a medication aid at the last place that I worked. It is verry hard to prove neglegence because adminiastration does a lot to cover their butts. It is possible to sue. Documentation is key. Get the date/time the medication was prescribed, when it was actually ordered and when the pharmacy brought it to the facility (if they don't have their own). Was she on blood thinners that her blood was so thin? Was there medication missing from her antibiotics? Could someone have been giving her the wrong medication and giving hers to someone else? You will never know what goes on in those homes until you talk to a good nurse aide which they could be fired for talking to you. Administration hated me because I would tell family members the truth. I had reported medication error after error and they replaced me with someone overmedicating residents so they would sleep as not bother them. It is so hard to fight the system because there is little ethics in healthcare, ethics tend to be found in individuals that practice in healthcare. Why did they do an x-ray? Did they do a UA (urinary analysis to see if she had a UTI?) It sounds like she had an acute UTI looped in with dehydration for her urin to be that strong. To be honest, most people in those homes do not look for changes in the patient and do not want to be bothered. The aides feel like they are working for so little, they are taking care of your grandmother and some are making less than a hostess at a resaurant. That is why the turnover rate is so bad in those homes. Short staffing, apathy, inexperrience all lead to neglegence. The sad part is if your grandmother dies from neglegence you can call the state to investigate, but by the time the investigation occures, they have covered everything up. If a bad records exists with a nursing home they sell it and change the name, but have the same staffing. That record is cleared, completely whiped away under new ownership even if old staff remain. The only way to truely fight this is to pursue stricter legislation. If I win my settlement a portion is going to try and get harsher legeslation for my state. Again, I am sorry for your difficulties. I would find out the information on her antibiotic, report the facility to your state Department of Health and Human Services (in Texas anyways). To tell you the truth, I do not believe in suing either because the way I was raised, but I chose to do so because I understood that the only way to do anything (even get the old administration/people out) is to hit the company with a law suit. You can always use the proceeds towards an elderly advocacy group. Best of luck!

Answer 2

You could make a complaint with the state, wherever you live. If you live in the US, the state reviews complaints like that. Specially if you don't want to sue, you should at least notify the state so no one else gets harmed.
Absolutely they should've started the antibiotics that day or the very next if it was late.
As for checking the urine, if they were putting her on antibiotics anyway, this may have been left out, specailly if they were using a broad spectrum antibiotic, it would've cured the infection anyway, see what I mean?
Was your mom a "NO Code?" If she was, maybe it was noted not to begin any treatment.

Answer 3

You have your priorities in reverse. Your mother's health comes first then the legal issues must be second. What you must do is advocate for your mother in the hospital and in the nursing home. If some thing needs to be done then make sure you follow what they do to your mother and if they do not respond - walk in and talk to the Dr in the hospital then find the physic an who is the head of QC - quality control - write up a detailed description of the problem and FAX it to his/her office and then demand an immediate appointment .

As far as the nursing home write a formal complaint to the administrator with a copy to your state agency that regulates the nursing home and demand an immediate meeting with the staff to correct the issue. Fax everything and make sure the hospital and the nursing home see the CC on any complaint you have.

Answer 4

I am a nurse working in a nursing home.
This situation is despicable.
Demand to see the director of nursing and the administartor of the nursing home for an explanation. With your mother's permission, you can access all her records from the home and the hospital. Document as accurately as possible all you and your sister remember of the events in the home.
Write a letter of complaint to the nursing licencing organization. They must, by law, investigate and respond.
If you feel strongly, you can take the situation to the press to raise public awareness.
Good luck. I'll be thinking of you.

Answer 5

Nursing homes like that do not deserve to stay open. Make a complaint to your states Family services office, to the state attorney general office. The Division of Aging is another agency. And I don't believe in suing people for every little thing, but this is not a little thing contact an attorney, they were suppose to take care of your mother, not harm her.

Answer 6

I know you may be reluctant to sue. But don't give up on mom because she is in poor health and 82. That's no excuse for malpractice. Besides, imagine if this nursing home has a history of what they did to your mother (or lack of what they did) and no one ELSE reported them? Now your mother is another victim. So you need to pursue this if only to save another patient from this horrible existence. Don't let your mother's suffering be for nothing. Right? Right!

Answer 7

Absolutely - YES something needs to be done. If you stand by and do nothing this place will abuse other elderly people. I am not sure which route you should take. Contact an attorney and ask for advice. I truly hope something is done to shut the facility down.

I feel horrible for your mother and your family members. This is such a terrible thing! I hope your mother recovers.

Answer 8

I think you should sue them for the amount of the cost for her funeral the medical care that they neglected to give her and for the amount they may attempt to charge you for her Nursing Home fee's.
Also make sure to get statments from the Dr's/Nurses who are currently taking care of her.Get their expert opinions concerning her neglect in writing.That will I imagine make for a stronger case...

I am sorry that they didn't do their jobs and I am sorry your mother is suffering in a time when she should be resting comfortably.I hope this turns out okay and that this won't cause her to pass away.Even if it doesn't you should start a law suit against the nursing home...

Blessed Be,
M.G

Answer 9

If you don't want to sue, at the very LEAST you need to report them to your State's Health Department!!!

There are very strict laws governing these places, and THAT place is disregarding all of them!!

They will be investigated, and SHUT DOWN if they continue their neglect....you don't want someone else's Mom to go through this do you??? Call ASAP!

Answer 10

that is a very sensitvie\touchy issue...I don't know where you are from...nursing homes are overcrowded everywhere, I know it's not an excuse but there is probably not enough staff, and so on. I think something should be done for sure, like raise awareness that these places need more help and need to be held accountable...hope everything works out...