Nursing Home Abuse - Possible Signs Your Loved One is a Victim

The decision to place a family member into a nursing home is filled with all types of emotions. It is an extremely difficult decision to make.

Fortunately, most nursing homes are safe, clean, and offer a caring environment. Unfortunately, a small number of nursing homes exist which neglect their residents or treat them in an abusive manner. Families can only hope the home they choose will treat their loved one with dignity and respect. The last thing that anyone wants to see is their family member suffering from some type of abuse or neglect.

It is important to be aware of some signs that might be present if you believe your loved one is not being treated appropriately or that your loved one is suffering from physical or mental abuse.

Signs of mental abuse include a change in behavior in your loved one. Several months ago they were happy and seemingly enjoyed life. Now, you find they act in ways that are very different or unlike their previous, normal behavior.

You might find your loved one is upset most every time you visit. This might be expressed through agitation or a change in personality. If you try to discuss the matter with your loved one, this may cause them to become even more agitated upset.

Another sign is withdrawal. Your loved one previously enjoyed playing a game of cards with other residents. Or, they enjoyed going to different activities the nursing home offered such as exercise classes, singing classes, etc. Sometimes their withdrawal becomes so prevalent they often miss meals or ask to eat their meals alone in their room.

Any of these signs can be an indication something is not right. It is up to you to search and try to find what is wrong with your family member and determine if they are reacting to some sort of mental abuse.

Physical abuse may be easier to detect. Often you will see blatant signs of physical abuse. This can result from your loved one being kicked, shoved, beaten, struck, shaken, or even burned.

A less visible sign of physical abuse is sexual abuse. Sexual abuse can happen in the form of rape, inappropriate touching, the taking of sexually explicit photos, or many other ways. Since many residents living in a nursing home are very frail and weak this makes them a target for sexual abuse if there is a staff member who chooses to behave in such an inappropriate manner. Residents who have a difficult time talking are even more open to such abuse because it is difficult for them to tell anyone.

Neglect is another form of nursing home abuse. Sign of neglect can include bed injuries, falling and fractures, bed sores, and dehydration. If you notice any of these signs, it is imperative you try to discuss the matter with your loved one no matter how reluctant they may be. You should also discuss your concerns with representatives from the nursing home and your own lawyer so an investigation can take place.

It is important for residents, family members, and friends to realize all nursing homes have specific rules, laws, and regulations they must meet or they will be fined and potentially shut down. Do not let your loved ones suffer silently as a possible victim of nursing home abuse.

Elder Abuse - Protecting Our Senior Citizens

In the mid-1960s the federal government passed, along with other civil rights legislation, the Older Americans Act of 1965, 42 U.S.C. 3001 et seq., specifically addressing the older American. Historically, this statute is central in the context of elder law being that it was the first to establish prohibitions against abuse and neglect of the elderly, among other protections. Since then, elder abuse laws have expanded both on the federal and state levels as seen with the 1987 Older Americans Act Amendments and similar state adopted laws that mirror its provisions.

While the Older Americans Act does not provide an all-encompassing definition of an elder, it sets guidelines for determining elder abuse which is ultimately determined based on the particular facts and circumstances of a given situation. Notwithstanding, Americans aged 65 or older have come to fall within the "elder-demographic." As such, according to a report of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Aging, five percent of all Americans of this aged population are victims of elder abuse. Unfortunately, the same source estimates only 12 percent of all elder abuse activities are actually reported.

These numbers suggest that elder abuse has become an endemic problem in the United States affecting a staggering one-third of all older Americans who belong to a notably growing class of citizens. Abuse takes many forms, but the ultimate result is harm - physical, psychological, emotional, or legal - to the elder person. Often, the victim may have been abused by close family, friends, or their caregiver; however, there are also instances of self-abuse. In short, one need only infringe on the rights of an elder person, or willfully and/or neglectfully cause physical, financial, or psychological harm for it to be considered abuse. Therefore, the manner and types of elder abuse that exist form a broad spectrum of varying degrees.

Very serious among the abuses of the elderly are domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence, all of which may include physical and/or psychological elements, possibly even exploitative ones. Consequently, the most common causes of elder abuse in general are:

1. The abuser has an innate pathological need to harm others, particularly elders.

2. The caregiver breaks down under the stress of caring for the elder person resulting in abuse, often occurring with Alzheimer's patients, and usually when there is only one caregiver who is without sufficient relief or respite.

3. The caregiver seeks revenge that is frequently due to a role-reversal subsequent to the caregiver having once been a victim of past abuse.

4. The caregiver may be a substance abuser which influences his/her abusive activity.

5. The caregiver is isolated or feels unappreciated and manifests his/her frustration by abusing the elder person.

6. The caregiver could be under the financial control of the older person causing anger and/or resentment directly or indirectly leading to abuse.

7. Institutional caregivers that lack resources and/or personnel necessary to provide adequate care that results in negligence or neglect.

The causes are many, and this list is not all-inclusive: socioeconomics, race, culture, and other emotional factors are also known to have - in some cases- a causal connection to abuse.

The legislative response to elder abuse has made some important progress in abating this national problem; for example, the Older Americans Act Amendments require state agencies on aging to determine and establish protective needs and protective services to assist the elderly. Yet, the state response to the problem has been limited.

One proposal is to mobilize a greater grass-roots effort to convince the states to enact appropriate legislation as well as to allocate greater resources to elder protection with an emphasis on more training of law enforcement and protective services personnel. Given the insufficiency of resources across the country, though, many experts recommend a combination of government based, private, and charitable efforts in a joint-alliance to stem what is one of the most significant problems affecting our elderly.

Small Space Sectionals With Storage Provide Seniors With Space-Saving, Movable Seating Options

There may come a time in later life when the big, beautiful house that sheltered a family must be traded for something smaller and easier to maneuver in, like an assisted living community. With the nest empty and bigger space simply not necessary, a pared down condominium or apartment-style home is often the best financial solution. Sectional couches designed for smaller spaces are an ideal furniture option when downsizing to a smaller living space in our later years.

For intimate moments of reflection or snuggling, small space sectionals are warm and inviting, yet extend plentiful seating when the grandkids come to visit. Cuddling with a blanket and a book, or even stretching out for a nap, can be done in comfort and style. And, when family or friends stop by, your small space sectional can be rearranged to accommodate your guests. When you choose a small sectional with pieces that can be separated or grouped together, you will also benefit from the ability to easily move these lightweight sectional pieces around, creating the ideal seating option for any occasion. For example, arranging your sectional sofa in an L shape or U shape makes a fantastic atmosphere in which to share memories or discuss current events.

To add even more functionality and space-saving options to your smaller living area, select a small sectional couch that features storage under each seat and in the ottomans. These ample storage compartments can be used to keep scrapbooks and photo albums safe and close at hand, stow children's toys between visits or keep seasonal clothing organized throughout the year. The storage areas offered by small space sectionals are also perfect for storing movies, receipts, magazines, extra linens or greeting cards.

Those who choose ready-to-assemble sectional couches will find that they are not bulky and clumsy like pre-fabricated, traditional couches. They arrive in boxes, allowing them to be easily moved to the room where they will be assembled, even if there is a narrow doorway or hallway that would be an issue with other sofa options. Once assembled, these sectionals are easy to arrange or disassemble if you need to move to a new living situation. They fit well in small spaces, offer extra built-in storage, and travel well.

Ready-to-assemble sectionals are available with a variety of color and fabric options, allowing you to find just the right look to fit your style. This allows you to turn your new, smaller condo or apartment into a welcoming, warm home.

Make Someone Famous Today

There are high spots in all of our lives and most of them have come about through encouragement from someone else. I don't care how great, how famous or successful a man or woman may be, each hungers for applause. - George Matthew Adams

There is a great deal written about leadership today. It seems to be the topic that will bring us to the promised land of efficient and effective staff. The questions become: How do I get staff to follow my lead? What training do I need to become a good leader? Much of what leadership has been centered around in the past has been closely associated with ego: position, title, office size or location, having a college education, a parking spot and the key to the executive wash room.

I'm being facetious of course, leadership is serious business. Someone has to take the lead to move a department or company forward. But I don't think it has to be difficult or a complex process to develop or learn. Anyone who has spent time in the military learns that leaders are not born, they're made.

A leader has a different attitude than other staff members. It is an attitude of action, inclusion, cheering, encouraging, accountability, continuous learning and passion. He or she has no doubt that all things are possible. Everything will work out. Without the skills and resources of others and goals to be accomplished there is no need for a leader.

Ronald Reagan is credited with saying. "You can accomplish anything you want if you don't care who gets the credit." I have a similar view; it is about finding ways to make people famous. Seek out ways to acknowledge, praise, reward positive and exceptional efforts of staff at all levels of the organization. Sometimes it's hard work making people famous.

Your success as a leader will be judged by the famous people you help to develop in your organization who outshine you. So find ways to publicly celebrate achievements of others. Send them a handwritten note describing the accomplishment. Send the note home, walk up to the person in the employee break room and congratulate him or her. Ask him or her for their autograph. Make a commitment each day to discover people doing things right and make them famous. I'm making you famous!

Feel free to use this article, in your publications; in its entirety provided you include the following notice: ?穢 Copyright 2011, Kenneth E Strong, Jr, Columbus, Ohio.

Assisted Living Costs In Georgia

Long term care services at assisted living facilities cost about $3,000 a month on average in the state of Georgia. If you think that's steep, the cost for nursing care is almost double, costing between $5,000 and $6,000 a month on average.

With monthly costs so high, how can you plan to pay for these service if you need long term care?

It's expensive in Georgia to receive long term care, unfortunately there are only two choices available to most people. You can pay for the care services out-of-pocket, or you can buy long term insurance care which will probably cost about $50.00 a month whether you wind up needed the care or not.

Here is a view of the average cost of long term care in Georgia, Metro Atlanta, including Alpharetta, Augusta, Macon, and Savannah.

• Georgia: $2,400.00 mo


• Alpharetta: $3,750.00 mo.


• Atlanta: $3,451.00 mo.


• Augusta: $2,277.00 mo.


• Macon: $2,656.00 mo


• Savannah: $2,836.00 mo

The cost of assisted living in GA can vary depending on the needs of the resident. For most facilities there is a base monthly fee for the room then additional fees are added as needed. There could also be a one-time community fee at the time of move in.

Monthly Suite Fee: Up to $4500

The cost of the room at an assisted living community per month in GA includes housekeeping, maintenance of the room and common areas, some to all utilities, activities and limited assistance with daily activities. The costs vary for several reasons, but the main factor is location. You can usually (but not always) estimate this by the local real estate. A Buckhead community in Atlanta will be more than one located in Woodstock.

Additional Fees: $600 - $4500

Depending on the level of care needed for the resident, Georgia assisted living homes all have additional services to assist you or a loved one with daily or regular activities. The services vary in cost, and depending on how many are needed can start at $20 a day, and get as expensive as $100 a day. Daily medication reminders and distribution is the most used service and costs about $450 a month if not included.

Be sure to check each facilities cost plan for these services even if they're not needed at first, they can quickly cause the bill to escalate in the near future. The following services are widely offered throughout assisted living facilities in Georgia.

• Grooming


• Bathing


• Dressing


• Dietary


• Vision


• Hearing


• Speech


• Transfer


• Mobility


• Socialization


• Weight loss/gain


• Lab work


• Vital signs


• Skin Care


• Special requests

One Time Community Entry Fee

The entry fee is a one-time, upfront payment between one to two thousand dollars and is usually paid before moving in. Generally it's used for maintaining the building and grounds of the facility.

Community fee is usually paid for prior to moving in and it covers the general maintenance of the building and community areas within a facility. It varies from $1000-$2000.

Physical Rehabilitation Centers and Nursing Homes Night Mares

*The reader decides what is good in each individual case. If any suggestion or advice is not helpful in your case, the authors suggest that you do not use it. Each case is individual; each case is different. Be your own judge of what is good in your particular case.

WOW! So you have a complaint! So, you have a serious complaint! What do you do? How do you pile through all the red tape of dealing with nursing homes and physical rehabilitation centers? Have you been given the run-around by a physical rehabilitation center or nursing home. Do they ignore your questions or requests? Does it seem like you are invisible to them? Have you made legitimate requests and been ignored at every turn? Does it "seem" like the corporate persons or people in charge or the licensed social workers are taking advantage of the situation?

Is the center or nursing home ignoring bedsores that were acquired right there in the center or nursing home. Those are questions to ask yourself when you feel like you are getting the run-around when dealing with health or financial issues in relation to physical rehabilitation centers and nursing homes in this world.And there are more questions; you probably can think of hundreds of questions yourself. How about these questions? Do they wait days or even weeks before the patient or resident is given proper care? Does it "appear" that the physical rehabilitation center or nursing home is doing "more bad than good"? And are they covering this up with avoidance or fabrication? Do these sound like the same complaints that you have about a particular rehabilitation center or nursing home? If they do sound similar or the same, your first steps in protecting the patient, resident and family can be found here in this self-help article.

Have you caught the place in outright lies? What has been your experience in dealing with physical rehabilitation center s and nursing homes? Everyone has a different experience. And while some might have a good experience, there e are possibly dozens or hundreds of others who are having bad experiences or terrible experiences inside physical rehabilitation centers and nursing homes.So, what is your experience? And If you have a bad experience, how do you handle it; How d o you react and how do you act in order to benefit the patient or resident inside the home?

First, build a solid base of honesty, and if there is no honesty inside the nursing home or rehabilitation center, if there is no honesty coming from the staff or supervisors, then build a case for proving their dishonesty. Once you have seen that staff or supervisors or administrators have lied about circumstances, and then you need to protect yourself from happening that happen again.For example, if the rehabilitation staff is claiming that something happened or is happening and you know for a fact that this is not true, then any future contact that you have with them might end up the same way. So how do you protect yourself under these circumstances?

Put It In Writing!

WRITING! Yes, a simple thing like writing changes all perspectives of a particular situation. Writing can bring a situation around to having more honesty, to having the staff and social workers and administrators "become" more honest. Once they see that something is in "writing" --in "print", they might think twice about compromising their honesty and integrity. So, if anyone at any of those places has lied or fabricated, made up a story or ignored any of your verbal requests, it would be just common sense to have future dealings with them in "writing".

Once a physical rehabilitation center has lied or misconstrued something or ignored your serious verbal complaints, it might be time to hit the typewriters and computers and compose a letter -IN WRITING-- to the administrators or supervisors that are responsible in the corporate setting. If you have serious complaints and your complaints are being ignored, it might be the time that you put your serious complaints in writing and it might be the time to send such complaints by certified mail or by express mail or by priority mail.What? What if you cannot afford these types of mail services? Have no fear! You can properly complain in writing and still have proof that you sent your letter -by asking the post office for a "certificate of mail". This is a small white receipt that is postmarked by the Postal worker, and then your letter is "on record" for being mailed at the US Post Office. This service is under two dollars per letter. (It might be under one dollar and fifty cents; check with your local post office). ALWAYS put your complaints in writing once your verbal complaints have been ignored or once stories have been fabricated by any staff or personnel at any physical rehabilitation centers or nursing homes.

Staff who are honest and personnel who are honest will not resent or be bothered by any complaints that are put in writing. It is only dishonest staff and dishonest personnel and dishonest licensed workers at physical rehabilitation centers and nursing homes that would be upset about any complaint put in writing. If staff is honest, they will respond professionally; if they are dishonest, they will dig their own hole deeper. Be forewarned that the battle gets tougher and the steps get deeper once you decide to register your formal complaints, so it might help you to have a few others on your side.

Helpful Hints:

Keep a Journal.

Begin a journal book and record EVERYTHING that happens -time, date, place, day, occurrence and the person's involved. KNOW that this corporate place is doing that so, you get on board and keep your own records, your own journal book/diary, regarding all issues and applicable communications, calls, visits. This is vitally important for your own protection from unscrupulous rehabilitation centers and nursing home

Keep records and copies.

Make a record of every phone call and every conversation, topic, date, time, day, and topic of conversation with details -every time you speak with someone regarding the rehabilitation center or nursing home. Some individuals make tape recordings of their phone calls. As long as "you" speak during that conversation, and you are "present" in that conversation, then this is not "eavesdropping" but simply a recorded conversation

Document everything.

Document everything that is done, everything that is said, everything that is not done and not said, to have accurate records of what is happening. Your documentation can mean the difference between success and failure, so document NOW- even before you have need to document things.

Have Everyone Join In and Check licenses:

Bring your entire family into the picture. Instead of one person doing all the work and making the complaints, ask all the family members who are available to help out and file their own complaints, either with the corporate place or with outside complaint agencies. The more participants the better. Consider, that's consider, reporting any unscrupulous "licensed" individuals to the appropriate "licensing" bureaus. In some states the places that give licenses is the Department of Education, in other states, it is another department.

Research online and be persistent:

Go online and do a search of any and all organizations that are there to help you with complaints against physical rehabilitation centers and nursing homes. Do a thorough search and you will come up with, maybe, more help than you need.Be persistent in your complaint. KNOW that so many others have been successful in battling bad nursing homes. Check out the article about a Southern California lawyer who successfully is getting settlements of more than a few million dollars from unscrupulous nursing homes who "lied about the quality of care inside the nursing home. Now, nursing homes are going to be more careful about what they "advertise" because if they do not produce what they advertise, they just might end up in some million dollar lawsuits -against them. One nursing home that has recently settled because it decided that it was better to settle than to go through a lawsuit for false advertising. It's tempting to give up when a large corporation is battling against you, especially when they are battling with illegal or unscrupulous tactics, but always have hope. Always know that all throughout history, eventually good conquered evil. Even when things looked worse in history and in life, good always survives and the truth always comes out. So have hope knowing that you are in good company and you will prevail with your honest reports to the appropriate places.

Stay connected to win!

You cannot underestimate the power of being connected. Talk with everyone you know, everyone you trust about the situation but without mentioning names. Ask for any and all help that you can get in fighting the red tape, the fabrication, the lies, and the unscrupulous dealings of any happenings inside of bad nursing homes and bad physical rehabilitation centers. If you are staying in a nursing home for rehabilitation, ask everyone you know if they know about your particular residence. Always listen to your gut instinct, no matter what anyone says. You can do whatever you set out to do, just make sure that you always listen to yourself.

Now, gather your evidence.

Gather the rest of your evidence. Who would think that nursing home advertisements would be helpful in bringing down a nursing home which is giving inadequate care or bad care? Well, think again. Read the news articles, and go at once to gather any and all of the advertising that any offending nursing home or any offending rehabilitation care center is giving out. Do you have a brochure? Look in your newspapers, where local places advertise. Tear out and save any and all advertisements that those places offer. Buy the newspaper or get the newspaper at your library and read about all the things that these care centers "offer" to their patients and residents. SAVE EVERYTHING! If a nursing home or care center is offering a certain kind of care, certain kinds of rooms or certain kinds of services ONLY in advertising but not in reality, then perhaps that particular corporation can be brought to law to be accountable for all of its false advertising. Be persistent. Study , research, and keep your research and keep your evidence. Then and if you decide to sue, you will have enough physical evidence to present to your lawyer. You just might win your case.

Value trust and guard it.

Forget trust? Wow. How can we say such a thing and be serious? Here's how. If you are dealing with a rehabilitation center or nursing home and some or any of the staff has already fabricated stories, withheld or lied or ignored your legitimate requests perhaps this is time that you should remember that these people should not and cannot be trusted. Why? Well, if they lied to you once, what stops them from fibbing to you or withholding vital information from you twice or three times or even all the time? If they have already thrown your trust in the garbage, how do you get that trust back and protect yourself? Usually, once staff lies to you, you can ALMOST be sure that they will lie again. After all, how do they cover up their first lie? They can only do that by either apologizing for their first lie - which won't happen- or by continuing to lie to you again and again. So, if this applies to you, the "forget trust". We are not claiming that everyone inside a nursing home lies; what we are stating is that sometimes "SOME" staff at some nursing homes cover up the truth simply because they are afraid of losing their jobs. After all, if a nursing home lets someone wait for hours and hours to go to the bathroom and if a staff member complains about this -what happens to that staff person? So when bad things happen inside of good or inside of bad nursing homes, the staff is pressured to cover up the lacks and to cover up the bad things that are happening --under the pressure of losing their jobs if they speak out.

Remember the eight nurses who walked out.

Look at what happened to those eight nurses who walked off the job due to bad conditions. That was in the news. EIght - not one, but eight nurses walked off in unity, yet even they had the tables turned on them. So, good employees are pressured to be silent and this makes the nursing homes and rehab centers worse than they should be.

If you are a nurse or social worker or supervisor in a rehab or nursing home, you need to SPEAK OUT against the bad practices that are happening inside these places. With your help, society will be successful in changing things for the better. (If you are afraid to speak out because you might lose your job, speak out to us. We will keep your confidentiality, and through a unity, YOU can help save lives. You can help give better care.

Complain to Agencies.

About complaining: Do your complaining (to other agencies and departments regarding these issues) in writing. It's tempting to get on the telephone and complain verbally because that is easy, however, only the true complaint prevails if you put things in writing. You put things in your own words-not in the words of the person taking the complaint.

Be Knowledgeable and consider suing.

Realize! Yes, realize what really happens once you initiate a complaint. First know whom you are speaking to if you complain by phone Know that most or some agencies are staffed by volunteers and even some are sympathetic to the corporations that you might be complaining about. (So consider suing if you have a good case). Complain to the agencies that issue licenses -whether the person you are complaining about is a doctor, nurse, home health aide, or social worker, complain to the proper parties. Ombudsman complaints are, well, okay, maybe, but sometimes even these ombudsmen are volunteers and sometimes you might get one who is not "impartial". However, when you complain to a licensing agency, they must check into every allegation, so much more than an ombudsman can and or will. Thinking about suing? Well, half of the work is done for you if you have followed the proper steps and taken the proper records. Your journal can probably be used in court to help your case. (Only your lawyer would know this). Persist! Don't let anything negative that the "red-tape builders" say to you; discourage you from being persistent in your honest reporting to the proper agencies and possibly lawyers also.

YES, build yourself up; strengthen your position and protect your family members and patients and residents by using the best resources that are available to you both in print and online. We make some recommendations about helpful books and helpful resources tools that you might be able to locate online or in your home town. Why not check out Mark Green's publications, such as THE CONSUMER BIBLE, or other consumer books by Mark Green.

Never "threaten" to sue, just do it

Locate a lawyer.

Finally? Finally, if nothing else helps the case and you are still getting nowhere and the corporate and staff are still fibbing, fabricating, or withholding vital information, seriously considering suing the place. Yes, a lawsuit might be quite appropriate in some cases. In no matter what state you live in, there are usually competent lawyers who will take your case without taking any upfront money from you. (Check with friends and relatives who may have used lawyers or check the yellow pages).

Search the net.

Know the net. Be aware of how the net works and be aware of how advertisements pop up on the net and what they mean and what they stand for. For example, you are now reading an article about rehabilitation centers and nursing homes. So, the way the net works is this - you might look to the side there and see many advertisements for nursing homes or rehabilitation centers. KNOW that this does not mean that this article is about those and this does not mean that we recommend any of those places. The way the advertisements get there is purely random. Somewhere in the net, the words "rehabilitation center" and "lawyer" and "nursing home" are picked up by the net and the advertisements are almost automatically generated. So know that we have no affiliation or recommendation of any persons or companies that are mentioned on this web page or in this website. In fact, we have no way of knowing which or if any of these corporations will appear on the same web page that our article is on. So beware and do your own "checking" when it comes to businesses.

Believe in yourself.

Believe in yourself and in your own inner instinct. Know that most staff or personnel that are connected with the physical rehabilitation centers and nursing homes probably would advise you not to put anything in writing. Why? Once you put your complaint in writing, they actually have to DO something about it, instead of being able to ignore your complaint the way they might be able to ignore a verbal complaint. So by putting your complaint in writing you make them accountable; you make "more work" for them, and you protect yourself and your family member. So, if you want to protect yourself and your family members, it would seem that it makes sense to put things in writing. (After all, what's more valuable, a verbal contract or a written contract? Correct!)

Always stay connected.

Connect! Yes, yes, yes, connect! Connection is a tool that has helped people throughout centuries throughout the world. You have seen evidence of this yourself. Don't "unions" get more benefits for employees? Aren't union members usually more protected than those that are non-union? Well, that's the connection theory at work. The more people you have on your side, the better protection that you have. So, if you can be connected with others that have the same problem as you have, that is protection for you and protection for them. SO, connect! I f you are seeking connection with others who are complaining about rehabilitation centers and nursing homes write to us and we will do our best to put you in touch with others having the same problems. ALL through history the ones who are and were the most successful are those who enlist the help of others and the ones who have a group behind them. That is why or how many unscrupulous rehabilitation centers and nursing homes get the upper hand, because there is more "staff" than "you". Once you join with others that are when you might begin to be successful in your journey towards truth, honesty, and integrity in rehabilitation centers and in nursing homes. Connect with us and join our worldwide project that will put the spotlight on nursing homes and physical rehabilitation and care centers across the world, and more specifically ones right in your own neighborhood. You can make this happen. Join us by emailing us with your facts, research, photos and your true story. Include a confidentiality statement with your work and you can be in consideration for joining our worldwide project.

SKEPTICS? :

Ahh, there are skeptics reading. Yes, we hear you. You are reading thinking that there are great nursing homes out there and there are wonderful people working there too. There are many giving wonderful and great service. YES! That statement is true, but in reality, the better truth is that there are probably MORE unscrupulous, offending, and damaging rehabilitation centers and nursing homes out there, throughout the country and throughout the world than there are good ones. If you doubt this statement, just do this, use the "Google" tool and set up Google alerts on your email account.

Put the words nursing homes or nursing home in there. You will probably get HUNDREDS of emails -Google alerts - in your box daily, about the negligent and malpractice nursing homes and rehabilitation centers. You will get emails about staff committing crimes, staff being negligent and emails about people dying all over the country of unnecessary deaths. Just check out a few of those Google alerts and see what happens. Yes, Virginia, there are good nursing homes in the world, but this article is about the bad ones. That's the difference. Our purpose in writing this article is to bring world attention to the deficiencies and the malpractices and the negligence's and the crimes being committed inside of unscrupulous rehabilitation centers and nursing homes.

REHABILITATION CENTERS

Why rehabilitation centers? You've asked why we use this term, and we have the answer for you here. For many, many years, there have been so many deficiencies in some nursing homes that the term "nursing home" leaves a bad taste in the world's mouth. Lately, we have come to connect the word nursing home with something bad -due to all the bad publicity that has been in the news and on television. So, what's the solution when a nursing home wants to advertise yet doesn't want that bad connotation to its name? Well, name it something else. Most all nursing homes have always had a floor or two for "rehabilitation" for many years. But now, some have changed their names so as to exclude themselves from the 'bad news' that might generate from searches about "nursing homes'. So, throughout our country, and throughout the world, "rehabilitation centers" are popping up all over, trying to not be classified as "nursing homes' in an effort to divorce them from any and all bad publicity. There actually are legal definitions of nursing homes and physical rehabilitation centers for the purpose of Medicaid and other agencies. The definitions have to do with how long people stay in a facility.

For example, if a place names themselves a "rehabilitation center" instead of a nursing home, then when people Google "nursing homes" their place might not come up in the search -even if there is bad news about the place. So, don't be fooled by name changes of places. (There is an actual legal clarification and definition between "nursing homes" and "rehabilitation centers" and you can find that online in one of the government sites). Google both names and read them all. These are terms you can Google to get news: "nursing homes, nursing home, rehabilitation center, rehabilitation and care centers, care centers, long-term care centers, aging, and things like that. But to begin with Google nursing homes and rehabilitation centers -two separate terms.

THE GOOD ONES: Yes, we acknowledge there are many helpful, good and law-abiding nursing homes and rehabilitation centers. This article is about the opposite. This article is written about the bad ones, the unscrupulous ones and the ones that violate personal and civil rights of human beings.

I f you are in a good one, we are happy for you. If you have a family member in a good one, we are happy for you, and we still ask you to JOIN US, yes join us, in stopping the corruption or the lack of care and non-care in the bad facilities. Join us and together , nursing home service will improve.

WRITE TO US:

(If you have a good comment about nursing homes and you do not understand this article, you are welcome to write to us also). We write, these articles regarding nursing homes and physical rehabilitation centers in an effort to band together with others who have been bound by red-tape, the run-around, and by unscrupulous nursing homes and physical rehabilitation care centers. We hope that you spread the word, and ask others to join us as soon as possible. TOGETHER, we can make progress; together we can be successful in making all nursing homes and all physical rehabilitation centers --better, and healthy for all of our people.

Footnotes below this line

By "dig their own hole deeper", we mean that if staff has already been dishonest, once approached in writing, they probably will continue to lie or fabricate or ignore your requests. Either way, you go on record with all your communications. That is your protection against future fabrications by staff.

This article, for the most part, is concerning dishonest staff at rehabilitation centers and nursing homes. When we advise "steps ", suggestions or advice, it is for the offending places and personnel. We do realize and recognize that there are "some" nursing homes that offer good service.

When recording on answering machines, sometimes a "timed beep" is necessary; check with your local statutes or check with your lawyer for details. Do an online search for help in that area.

If a licensed social worker or a licensed doctor has been unscrupulous or if they have been allegedly guilty of malpractice or negligence, you might want to consider seriously complaining to the licensing agencies about this. Pull up a good search engine on your computer and put in a search for "department of education licensing division" or "licensing agencies" . Keep searching until you find what you you are looking for.

While there are some centers that do "just' rehabilitation and or therapy, the places that we are speaking of are the centers that used to be nursing homes and those that have just changed their names to cover themselves up. The places we speak of are those that have nursing home ability or capacity -have people "living" there as permanent and temporary residentsWe strongly suggest putting your complaints into a type-written or computer-composed letter instead of verbally complaining to agencies.

If you think you have good cases, go right to a lawyer and ask for the free consultation. MOST lawyers have free consultations. You can even have a free consultation on the phone sometimes. Check the net and yellow pages.

Our Recommendations: If you would like our own recommendations (not a scientific study but our own personal recommendations). We can offer a list of homes and rehab centers that we approve of and offer a list of nursing homes and centers that we would never recommend. This list is only our opinion. But you are entitled to our opinion, so feel free to write to us. Contact us through the email section of this articles website. We do not work or volunteer in any nursing homes or rehab centers, but we have visited at great length in some and have shorter visits in others. A visitor's opinions are valuable when choosing nursing homes and rehabilitation centers, so feel free to write to us.

CLUE: People are under the mistaken impression that if a center is not on the LIST of worst nursing homes, then the center is good. WRONG! We have discovered that one of the worst nursing homes around is not on the LIST of the worst homes. They use illegal tactics, hide things and cover up their errors to stay off the "worst " list. So far they have been able to do that. But now, consumers, residents and families are making their own LIST of worst nursing homes and rehabilitation and care centers. Wouldn't you lik e to see the list that residents and families made?

I know for a fact that there is at least ONE rehabilitation and care center that is one of the worst going, yet this place is not on the government' s WORST list. So be careful when viewing the homes. Ask to see the ENTIRE home, all floors of the nursing home , before making a decision.

Updated May 2008

Moving Your Loved One to Assisted Living: 10 Tips for a Smooth Transition

Two years ago my father-in-law had a small stroke. Family members hoped his mental faculties would return, but they did not. The stroke had caused more damage than we thought. Dad became increasingly forgetful, wasn't eating right, and wore dirty clothes. We worried about him constantly.

Before the stroke we tried to get Dad to move to an assisted living community and he refused. After the stroke he still refused, so we had a family meeting. The meeting focused on the benefits of assisted living: utilities, cleaning, linens, meals, transportation, recreation program, and personal safety.

After two hours of "spirited" discussion Dad agreed to move. Assisted living is a housing alternative for older adults who want or need assistance. My father-in-law moved into a community that is owned and operated by Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. It is within walking distance of down town and has an excellent reputation.

Sorting Dad's things took about two months and the steps we followed are below. For more information on assisted living contact the Assisted Living Federation of America, the Consumer Consortium on Assisted Living, the National Center for Assisted Living, the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, and the American Seniors Housing Association.

As you go about your work keep this thought in mind: Moving a loved one is a labor of love.

1. FIND A COMMUNITY. There may be a community in your town or close by. If there isn't one log onto http://www.FindAssistedLivingCare.com, a free service that lets you search by state and name. You may also log onto Eldercare Locator, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website.

2. VISIT THE COMMUNITY. My father-in-law visited several apartments, the main dining room, corner grocery, and other places in the high rise. Give your loved one a chance to think about the visit before he or she visits it again. You may wish to have a surprise visit to make sure the community is a match for your loved one.

3. TALK WITH RESIDENTS. Because Dad knew many of the residents of the community he knew a lot about it. He had attended social functions there and sampled the food, which is excellent.

4. HIGHLIGHT SERVICES. Just the thought of moving upset my father-in-law. Dad had lived alone for years and didn't enjoy cooking. When we told him he wouldn't have to cook for himself his face lit up. "Good," he declared. He would have a complete kitchen in case he wanted to prepare meals.

5. GET A FLOOR PLAN. The assisted living community provided us with a floor plan. This plan helped Dad envision himself in a new place. Having the plan helped us to decide, with input from Dad, where to place his furniture. It also helped us to decide which furniture to keep.

6. SORT GOODS. My sister-in-law, one of the most organized people on the planet, did most of the sorting. Things were sorted into groups: large furniture, small furniture, kitchen things (dishes, silverware, pots and pans), books, antique books, photographs, linens, and artwork.

7. HIRE AN APPRAISER. A professional appraiser will help you determine selling prices and prevent family disagreements. Our appraiser divided Dad's things into two sub-groups, sell and give-away. He completed his work in two hours and it was a revelation. Some of the things we thought were valuable weren't and some of the things we thought were junk turned out to be valuable.

8. GIVE THINGS TO FAMILY. Though my father-in-law grieved as his home was dismantled, he found comfort in giving things to his sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Keep a list of who gets what to avoid trouble later.

9. HIRE A MOVER. The assisted living community was close to the condo, so we were able to move many things ourselves. We hired a professional mover to move large furniture. To help Dad find things we put sticky notes (dishes, silverware, shirts, etc.) on doors and drawers.

10. MONITOR YOUR LOVED ONE'S HEALTH. Dad was never really happy in his new apartment, probably because the stroke continued to spread. There was too much space for Dad to worry about. After Dad walked into the wrong apartment (he was looking for towels) and exhibited other unsocial behavior, we consulted with staff and family. The collective decision - move Dad to a lower floor where his health and medications would be monitored.

Dad's new apartment is really a large room and overlooks a charming park. I put his dining table and chairs in front of the window. A wooden screen divides the sleeping area from the living area. Just before Dad walked in the door I put a bouquet of fresh flowers on the table. "This is really nice!" Dad exclaimed. His words were music to my ears.

Copyright 2006 by Harriet Hodgson