My father has been in rehab in horrible conditions and the facility is treating him poorly. I have been calling them non-stop to find out details, and the social worker gives me attitude every time I speak with her. I have complained to the state, but I need to know if there is anything I can do to get my father out of there immediately and into his new facility. He is rapidly declining and I fear he won't recover. I have spoken to the local ombudsman, but is there someone else I can call?
Also call the hospital that recommebded thus rehab and detail the conditions for them.
Consider if calling 911 and removing dad to the hospital and the new rehab might be a tactic.
Do you have POA?
He arranged for, and I picked up (next day) the letter authorizing continuation of PT, but at another rehab facility I presented it to the Admin or someone at that level at the unsatisfactory place, and advised I would be moving my father ASAP.
The facility did arrange for ambulance transfer, which was helpful, but one of the drivers was rude and obnoxious and told me that the place I had selected was a bad place. When I showed him the plaster-like "fish" that had been served to Dad and others, he just shrugged.
He did complete the transit, complaining about the new facility, in a totally unprofessional manner for anyone driving an ambulance. And he sped all the way over there, as well as taking an especially indirect, long route.
Medicare never raised the issue. It wasn't a problem.
So, get a letter from the doctor who scripted for the PT; make your own ambulance transit arrangements if you have to, and advise the current facility's admin staff that you're moving your father. If it helps, reread the admission documents and see if you have to give written notice (might be a good idea anyway).
Best of luck; I know how frustrating this can be. However, I think the SW is B'S'ing and manipulating you. Ignore her and go directly to the administrator when you have your arrangements in place.
(BTW, I never had to use any authority under existing Dad's existing POA.). The doctor knew me as I had treated with him, and accompanied Dad on all his visits.
In case members do not know this, you can turn down Rehab. You can turn down the places they suggest. I live in a small area. We have 3 NHs within 10 miles of my home. All owned by the same people but run differently. One, I definitely would not send a LO to or me. The second one, I'd rather not, but in a pinch and rehab only maybe. The 3rd, I had my Mom in. This one I would do rehab.
These facilities need to be shut down and charged for their criminal neglect and abuse. I hope there will be class action law suits against them!
Call Ombudsman's office and report the problems you have tried to bring to the attention of current facility staff and they will get investigation started for you.
I will tell you, from experience, if you complain it is very likely they are going to note in his records that he is not making progress, refusing rehab plans, or (falsely) saying he has made progress and leveled out, and release him based on they've done all they can for him. A rehab cannot refuse to let a patient out.
I think you have a right to complain, in writing, to the facility's administration. I don't know if SW's have to be members of any particular professional association; perhaps someone else can answer that question. If so, I'd file a complaint with the professional group.
And of course, there's the nursing home which allowed and apparently tolerated the SW's abuse. Go for the administration's leadership. Research it and determine if it's part of a chain; I found that many are in fact locally owned and franchised. If so, research online to find the franchisor (the owner of the chain of facilities) and complain directly to the owners and upper management. That's the business angle.
There's also the criminal angle. As already suggested, report the abuse, to Medicare (the abuse may affect the funds Medicare provides and thus the stability of the company itself), the State, and the local police. You might also inquire of the state police if there's an abuse task force in existence. Several years when I reported a medical issue I learned that our state police had established a task force for addressing elder abuse.
I hope everything works out well for in the few days, and that you have the support of your father's medical team in this new facility, and that your father is able to reverse the downward trend and improve.
And kudos to you for getting him out of there STAT. I hope that you and your father are able to look forward to a more positive future. Best wishes to you both.
My mother went to a terrible SNF for rehab in May of 2019 and I was livid. So I called & visited a different rehab which was top notch and they said sure, they'd be happy to take here there. They got authorization from Medicare to have her transferred, and that's what happened b/c that's all you need: authorization from Medicare that they will foot the bill at the new rehab SNF. The new rehab SNF even sent the transport bus over to get her. The old rehab SNF had NO SAY in any of it; I informed them of their sub-par care and lack of PT, etc, and that I was reporting them to Medicare and would be leaving them a bad Google review, which I did. To date, that review has received 50 'helpful' votes so I hope I've saved others the agony of sending their loved one there for rehab, if nothing else.
Yes, there are sub-par SNFs out there and yes, there are great SNFs out there too. It's up to us to do our homework FIRST, like I did NOT do, so we don't find out too late that our loved one was sent to a bad SNF for rehab! The one I wanted was full, so I chose the second one, sight unseen, which was a mistake.
IMO, the “rehab” industry operated by Skilled Nursing Facilities is one of the biggest scams going. It is based on a triangle of fraud between hospitals, SNFs and PT contractors. Many SNFs “hold” a portion of their rooms for rehab patients because they make a lot of profit from the Medicare payments rather than Medicaid residents or even private pay. That is why most of them try to hang on to patients for the full 90 days even if they are doing nothing to improve the patients condition. It is not unusual for the patient to see very little of the PT people during their stay. But no one is minding the farm and the PT invoices are often inflated. Most of the time the patient is in a bed or chair totally neglected and receives little to nothing in terms of PT. Also, No one monitors nutrition at most of these facilities. A tray is brought in and left and then picked up with no regard to what was eaten or not. It is simply a money-maker that takes advantage of vulnerable people and their families who are left in the dark for the most part. It is not unusual for them to charge $400.00 a day or more! Think about what kind of hotel you could book for that amount! I know it is not a hotel - but it is not what it purports to be either! It will take civil and criminal prosecutions of these folks for neglect, abuse and fraud to make anything change.
Moral of the story? When a loved one is hospitalized and needs follow-up rehab care, think twice about agreeing to a rehab facility. Unless you know the facility provides good care, you are better off taking the patient home and taking advantage of home healthcare provided by Medicare for a set period of time.
I went through exactly what you reported.now I'm going through getting her dementia dx.same md attitude I'm the problem not dementia
Why neurology such a mess.?
Ps I've cared for my pd 6 yrs now.doing great wife is my biggest concern
Llittle help
THanks
Jjohn
Then notify the dept of aging and disability of your struggle. The facility can only insist one stay if one will be in danger if one leaves. An alternate facility is not 'in danger'.
If not search out a good elder attorney
Get clear on your legal position
Then take action & get your father out
The rehab doesn’t care for your father, they care about the money his occupancy is bringing in
Get their refusal in writing. All business in writing
You may have a case to sue the center
Bless you for caring for & about what happens to your father