Who do I report less than adequate care to?

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Who do I report less than adequate care to?

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Hi Friends,

My mom is at an assisted living facility along with nine other people. There are two very old lady caregivers one over 70 years old the other over 65.

For the most part my mom needs very little care. But every now and then she gets dizzy or week and she will fall in the bathroom. Last time she laid on the floor for three hours calling for help and when the caregivers came of course they’re too old to help her or pick her up so they called 911 and off to the hospital she goes.

Tuesday of this week my mom who is very high anxiety felt sick started to panic and called 911 and told them she cannot breathe and off to the hospital she went and no one tells me. I don’t even know she’s at the hospital until the nurse calls me.

My question is what state agency regulates in-home assisted living care? I think her caregivers are too old to be caregivers they don’t tell me when my mom goes to the hospital and they don’t tell me if she’s having a problem with anything.

I have discussed my concerns with the owner via text but she never responds and when I try to discuss in person she just giggles and says she loves my mom. But truth, she loves the $3600 I give her every month.

I am looking for a new place to put my mother and in the meantime I want to report this facility to the state.

Assisted Living Care Decisions Care Plan

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I would call the counsel of aging in your area. Go in with a written list of concerns and events. There are multiple agencies that you can report to and the Area on Aging, aka counsel of aging will know everyone and have contact information. They are also mandatory reporters, so that makes 2 reports.

Somewhere in moms AL, should be very visible, is a wall of mandatory postings. This will have information about your rights and agencies that oversee them and how you can report them. Call the ombudsman and get them out to talk to mom, they will help her.

If you are paying anything from your own money for your mom you need to stop immediately. It is not fair that you are spending your retirement to prop her wishes up.

I am amazed that you haven't walked away and let her deal with her choices and consequences.

The owner does love a high paying, low level care individual. Greedy b tch.

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There is a requirement that the name and number of the ombudsman be posted. Find and use that. If it’s not there, that’s another huge red flag. Clearly, as you’ve seen your mother needs to be moved. Is your mother paying for her care or are you? I ask because when my mother required nursing home level care, she went from private pay with long term care insurance to needing Medicaid in short order. Her care was no different on Medicaid than with private pay. If this might be your mother’s need, don’t pay and delay that process. If you don’t see ombudsman number, call council on aging or adult protective services. I wish you the best as you advocate for your mother

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Wow! This has sort of left me speechless. I suppose that I shouldn’t be shocked by anything anymore. It’s still extremely disturbing to read about occurrences such as this.

I am not sure exactly how these situations are handled but I do want to offer support and say that I wish you the very best. Hugs to you and your mom.

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I'm not very old - only 56, does that make me quite old? - but I can tell you that even the rosy-cheeked 22 year olds we have on our team are not allowed to "pick up" fallen elders. It isn't safe for the elders or the caregivers. There are techniques you can use to prompt the person to get up unassisted and safely, if the person is uninjured; but if in any doubt we would call either the Falls Response Team or an ambulance.

But why doesn't your mother wear a falls alarm? Why isn't the facility equipped or the staff trained to deal with falls?

I think the owner might well respond with a straighter face if you put your concerns down in an email and tell her that it's going to the long-term care ombudsman next.

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Thank you for this response CountryMouse. As a caregiver I agree with your response in its entirety. This question reminded me of a CEU course or recertification quiz question. In a different scenario, I am currently providing care to a client in his home who was abused by his spouse yesterday. I work for an agency. I reported the incident immediately to my agency who in turn is reporting it to Adult Protective Services immediately after I document the incident in writing this morning. If I was providing care to this client in a private duty arrangement I would have called APS immediately myself and submitted documentation in writing directly to them.

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There is an Ombudsman that you can file a complaint with.
I would do this even if mom were not having a problem. 2 "caregivers" that can not help when necessary, can not either hear a call for help or ignore a call for help should not be working in this capacity.
I think you are wise to report the facility and I think you are wise to find another place for your mom.
Is there any way you can install cameras in your moms room so you can monitor what is going on and if there is a fall again (hopefully not) but you could call 911.
I might also contact the local fire department to see if they are aware that this facility is pretty much unsupervised.

by the way personal comment here but I am over 65 and would not consider myself as a very old lady caregiver but there is no way I would want to care for 10 people. I would not feel like I was doing a good job.

Good luck in your search for a new home for mom and I hope you find one soon it seems like a dangerous situation.

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For what it's worth, my mother has lived in Assisted Living for over 5 years now. She has fallen 41x and has been helped up EVERY SINGLE TIME by the care givers; 911 was never called. Of course you should expect the care givers to help your mother up when she falls; that goes without saying. They should be trained with gait belts, or ask for another person to come assist them, but it's their job to get her up on her feet again. It's also their job to call you each time there is a fall event so that you are aware of it. The nurse is to check her vitals and make sure she isn't hurt or didn't hit her head in the fall. If there was a head injury of any kind, she MUST be transported to the hospital for evaluation.

Grandma has given you some good advice here. Call the Ombudsman right away to inform him/her of the situation that exists in this ALF your mom is in. There needs to be a public notice inside the facility of the Ombudsman's name and phone number; if it isn't there, then that's an infraction as well.

You are wise to find your mother another ALF to live in. The smaller ones are not always the 'better' ones, either, as you are seeing. I suggest you look for privately owned ALFs and ask the residents AND the staff how they enjoy living/working there. That really tells you all you need to know right there.

Best of luck!!

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I had to laugh at the "very old 70 and 65 yr old" I am 70 and don't feel very old.

I do agree, though, that 65 and 70 are a little up there to be Caregiving with dealing with the physical aspect. My GF and her sister retired at 60 because the work was getting too much.

These places are overseen by the state. I would start with the Ombudsman.

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Call your State Omsbusman everyone has one that works different counties . You mention the word obsbusman and AFJ , Nursing homes scramble to make things right . APS you could call but they aren’t good for anything other than getting paid by the state. I’m sorry but I’ve never had a good outcome from them ever. And I’ve called them so many times. Worthless they are. The state Omsbusman I over sees APS anyway and they are supposed to check out your complaint and do. They get the job done. Look on Google for your state Obsbusman that’s how I found ours my mom lives in a beautiful home with people that love her and this they put up with a lot from her . I couldn’t even live with my mom we tried it. She’s impossible. She wants to find a new home after reading this she better be careful of what she wishes for she could end up like this . I know a adult family homes are supposed to call 911 if I their parents fall or complain about anxiety etc. by law they have a too but they are supposed to contact the POA or family if something happens. Ya moms AFH has contacted me with every episode mom has had . They are wonderful to her. There are other alternatives don’t settle for a bad place for mom just think about if you could live there’s that helps your decision. Good I luvk
caulk the Omsbusman

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Contact your state department of health as well as the ombudsmen of the area agency on Aging. If the home receives Medicaid funds, I would also contact the state department of welfare. Is this facility part of a corporation?
If so, I would contact them as well.

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In addition State Adult Protective Services is an agency which is appropriate to notify in certain situations.

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It's the protocol with many agencies that the caregivers should NOT attempt to pick up a fallen elderly person; it's not safe for the elder or the caregivers, and it can be a liability issue if one of them is injured in the process. The protocol is to phone 911.

Somebody else mentioned gait belts. Gait belts are passé and should never be used to yank somebody off the floor, as they have been associated with many abdominal injuries. (I'm an RN, by the way.)

I am curious as to why the woman lay on the floor for three hours. Does she live alone part of the time and the caregiver had not yet arrived? If this is the case, then it's fairly clear that it is no longer safe for the woman to live alone any longer, even for a few hours.

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Always phone 911, Dragonflower? I'm just comparing notes, not arguing, I'm interested.

I don't know how long we've had this service where I live but presumably because the emergency services got so sick of helping elders off the floor or out of their bathtubs we now have a dedicated Falls Response team who roam the county and try to get to any call within the half hour. If an injury is obvious or suspected, then it's still an ambulance, of course; but if the person is perfectly happy only not able to use any technique to raise themselves (with appropriate support) then the falls team people come along with special inflatable cushions and kind of lever them upright. I believe they do have relevant paramedic training, but I'm not sure if they are fully-qualified paramedics. Still - they do a brilliant job :)

Completely agree - gait belts are to aid gait, not for use as block-and-tackle!

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Hello,when it comes to your MOM... that's when I draw the line.
Take her OUT of there IMMEDIATELY.Report all the events to the department of aging and to BETTER BUSINESSES B...use all in YOUR POWER TO GET A PLACE for mom or get a Private aide that you can train to Mom's necessities. I'm a HHA SINCE 1980,s and that is unacceptable.YOUR MOM IS THE REASON why she is there.Care to the fullest.Money talks the rest can walk situation's?
Please take her out Immediately.please let us know how it all went.God bless amen.

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BBB - the only potential help there is to post negative comments to warn others away. They have no authority to do anything. I would focus on those who CAN do something (Ombudsman is what others generally recommend.)

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I am a Certified Personal Care Aide PCA. I am age 65. I am fit, active, healthy and well trained by my agency in all aspects of client care including responding to falls. When following all appropriate protocols for care the risk of injury to caregivers and to clients is minimal. Residents should always be assisted by paramedics following a fall, not facility staff. Age in itself is not a determining factor in quality of care! Not all caregivers in their 20's or 30's are fit enough or well trained enough to safely and effectively perform caregiving tasks required of the job. To limit one's evaluation of a care provider's performance based on age alone can be inaccurate and therefore is discriminatory by definition.

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"Residents should always be assisted by paramedics following a fall, not facility staff." While I understand that a serious fall should be attended by paramedics, if a facility had to call 911 for every fall, the paramedics would likely be there all the time!

Mom's MC if at capacity is 20 people. If two fall (tumble, slip down to floor, etc) every day, and then several in the AL upstairs fall every day, there wouldn't be enough paramedics to cover other emergencies!

Each fall should be assessed. When mom first moved in (she was the first MC resident when the rebuild was done), yup, she was transported to ER for several simple tumbles. That has since stopped. They check her over, monitor vitals for a few days and that is that. If they were to call 911 every time mom fell, I would get no peace! They do call me to report it, but it doesn't require me having to go pick her up at the ER!

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Very old at 65? We could run circles around these young people, who whine and complain about everything...

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And are on their cellphones constantly texting or playing games !!!!

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I am not concerned about the caregivers' ages. I am concerned that she lay on the floor for several hours and that they couldn't get her up. Get mom into a place you trust more. Make a complaint to the Better Business Bureau and your local department for aging. Age is not the issue here, it's neglect.

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When you say the caregivers came, do you mean they arrived in morning because there is no staffing at night or that they were on duty over night but didn't respond to her? At the very least, your mom should be wearing a Lifeline type product that detects falls and there should be a call button in the bathroom that she can activate or she needs to live in a facility that has staffing overnight that can respond and well check through the night as assisted living facilities usually do well care checks in morning. Once they responded, calling the EMTs is correct. If they know that you are her health care proxy, they must call you. Not calling you is unacceptable.

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FIRST LINE in OP's question:

"...My mom is at an assisted living facility..."

"...there should be a call button in the bathroom..." Mom's MC facility has these, HOWEVER, if she falls in her room and can't crawl her way to the bathroom, she can't push the button.

Additionally, they have put a lanyard with a call button ON mom - she has NO clue what it is, periodically will notice it and then push the button, not having a clue that she is calling the aides!!!

These idiots "working" at a place with only 10 residents should be checking on the residents EVERY 1/2 hour! That place should be closed for business (reporting fine, but clearly the "owner" is an idiot.)

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Report to AHCA, the Agency for Health Care Administration. They are the licensing agency and will do an inspection, and possibly pull their license.

Age is not the issue as others have said. Lazy, neglectful caregivers come in all ages, sizes, and colors.

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OIG- Office of Inspector General is where I was directed. Each state has their own office and you will be directed to the closest office

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I don’t think you’ll be able to find this perfect situation for $3600 a month. Look before you leap. If you really want to pursue allegations, you can contact the ombudsman; the name and number should be posted in a clearly visible place in your Mom’s facility.
I think you’ll be less than enthralled with younger workers. They are attached to their phones and have poor attendance, constant family drama, and transportation issues. I hope you find what you seek, yet again I implore you to look before you leap.

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This is a perfect situation? 10 residents and the idiots working there can't do a resident check/head count every 1/2 hour??? Even if she has to spend more, I would get mom OUT and also report the place. They'll have their cover up for sure, but there are places for rating out there, at least post the truth on them!

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I'm sure this little 'mom and pop' assisted living facility definitely has some pros over the bigger facilities, but when it comes down to it, those care givers have no right to be there. They must know their own limitations by being incapable of A) responding to a call bell in a timely manner, B) communicating with you about mom's health issues, and C) knowing how to correctly lift a resident; it's a recipe for disaster because someone is going to get seriously hurt.

If it was my mom I would be extremely upset and file a complaint as soon as I've moved her out, especially in light of your former attempts to discuss the situation with the owner and her flippant, dismissive response (it makes *me* mad just reading what you wrote).

"I have discussed my concerns with the owner via text but she never responds and when I try to discuss in person she just giggles and says she loves my mom. But truth, she loves the $3600 I give her every month."

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There is always a list posted in the care facility of people in charge of staff, nurses and there higher ups
take note of the Names and start advocating for what you feel is right
All state facilities answer to somebody. That’s your responsibility to alert them to what’s going wrong and when things get ruff YOU get tuff and believe me you will feel much better that you spoke up don’t shrink back!

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Check out facility licensing in the area where facility is and report via that route. You can call the local Medicaid office and get name of licensing department for your state. You might also call the Ombudsmans office for the info.

First and foremost, no one in a house with 2 caregivers and only 9 patients should lay in a floor for 3 hrs. You have to wonder why no one heard her call for help. On the other hand, did she really lay in the floor 3 hours. 65-70 years old does not mean they are not capable. I'm 65 and in very good health and can pick up my mom of 190 lbs while I only weigh 113 - so don't judge a book by its' cover. It's possible, though, that your mom requires more care than these two particular ladies can give. And yes, they may continue to say they can do it to get the money.

In the mean time, text her and be very specific in telling her you expect a phone call at ANY time of day or night that your mother has fallen, become ill, or if 911 has to be called. No delays, immediate notification. Also that you will be checking with licensed facility authorities to find out what must be reported, when, how quickly the family members will be notified, and their failure to respond to your questions. No facility, group home or otherwise, wants investigators nosing about.

Your mom may continue to do well in a licensed home, but perhaps one with fewer patients.

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https://cssnv.org/elder-abuse/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAqNPyBRCjARIsAKA-WFzHvCTcfsQdmGGZA3BJwFIAvwKWMZXOfodSkYwYWBcEnALkzdA8lqgaAmJGEALw_wcB

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That’s for the state of Nevada. OP is not in Nevada.

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Very old at 65 and over 70? Well anyway, talk to the head of this place.
Llamalover47 (as in 1947).

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An "oldie" but a "goodie"? :-)

I'll be there myself, soon enough...

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Even young CNA's in nursing homes are told to call 911 when someone has fallen. They don't lift them themselves because they could hurt the person even worse. So the caretakers age and ability probably had nothing to do with them calling trained personnel to safely transport your mom to be examined by a doctor. Personally I don't think you have a valid reason to report them to the state as far as the age of the caregiver's goes. Maybe it's time to move her to a skilled nursing facility. Her getting dizzy and falling down in the bathroom on more than one occasion is nothing to make light of. She should probably be assisted too and from the bathroom and shower each time she goes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are the number one cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries in Americans aged 65 and older.

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Gina, you are correct. We are not to manually lift a patient or pick them up without a hoyer lift or another person. And, that's just a general rule. If they fall, you absolutely do not attempt to move them, as you could cause an injury or worsen one caused by the fall. An ambulance must be called - at least in the states and fields I've worked in (when teaching, the same policies and procedures were in place).
Regarding assistance to and from the restroom and in general, she's a fall risk (if she wasn't previously, she's documented as such now, I'd bet), and she should either be monitored while moving about and/or assisted. Good point

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People keep responding that they are 65 or 70 and don't "feel old." However, if you're honest, you'll admit that you are not as strong as you used to be and frankly, your reflexes aren't as quick. Besides, the OP was talking about *her mom's caregivers, not you.

Report the home to Medicare/Medicaid and your state's Joint Commission. Good luck.

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Christine, I agree. I am 63 and being a caregiver for a dependent person is exhausting and overwhelming. As we age, aches and pains as well as medical issues may stop up making it more difficult to provide care.

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Affinity Living Group is one of the worst company to ever work for. They let their RESIDENTS TAKE SHOWERS IN THE COLD because the bathrooms dont have heat. The building is outdated and have ROACHES everywhere. During the summer ANTS and crawly BUGS all over the building. The owner dont care about nothing but money and they FEED RESIDENTS THE SAME THING EVERY WEEK and not try to change because they worry about the budget so they can have money at the end of the year. They dont appreciate their workers and only give high up management the benefit of having direct deposit. They are very UNPROFESSIONAL and RUDE.

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Hope you reported them to the state, the ombudsmen, and any other regulatory agencies. (Medicare)

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I agree with manny of the posts that I have read.
1. Move your Mom to a better place.
2. Have documentation of any conversations and even better have written comunication with the owner of this agency. Use your info to take to the county Health and Human Services office Long Term Care folks. Also contact your state office of HHS and file your concerns. Also every state has a Board of Nurse Examiners that you can contact. I personaly do not think it is an issue of age as much as maybe a lack of caring. I think the owner hires people like herself.
3. All corispondance that you have with a government agency should be sent Return receipt so you can hold the government accountable.
You and your Mom are in my prayers. I would not be surprised if the owner of this home under pays and under trains her staff. All trainging should be followed. I do not knot the standard is to moving some one after they have fallen in one of these homes. I do know it is not asking any thing to call you and let you know what has happened at the time. Like others have said in this posting two care givers to ten people works out to five a person,. That is twelve menuits an hour to spend with some one and get to know them a little more. It is not so much checking up as it is being friendly.
The owner is who I would go after. Another idea is to contact your state reprasentative or senitor from your district working out of your state capital.

I am a poor speller. This web brazer does not work as well with my screen reader so I can not clean up my spelling. I am sorry for that. I hope you can make out my thoughts from my chicken scratch.

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Who do I report less than adequate care to?

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