Trends in Long-Term Care - U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging

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I did not personally do very much, but the <strong>in</strong>spectors tried to go <strong>in</strong>
at anytime, because whether they may come <strong>in</strong> was quite helpful, and
if you never knew when the <strong>in</strong>spectors might show up, some of them
were very good, go<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> at all hours of the night, some go<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> at 6
o'clock <strong>in</strong> the morn<strong>in</strong>g, and any other time.
I did not go out ord<strong>in</strong>arily on <strong>in</strong>spections. I only went out when
there were problems <strong>in</strong>volved.
I might go out to see a nurs<strong>in</strong>g home, to see what it looked like.
One of the nurs<strong>in</strong>g homes I was at very frequently, I knew it by
heart, because it was a problem, it was one that did not function properly,
and the place had been without heat for over a week.
I just went up to see what was go<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>in</strong> there. I was very unhappy.
It was probably the one with the worst conditions I was at.
For one th<strong>in</strong>g, they were wash<strong>in</strong>g dishes with cold water, and when I
spoke to them about it, they said they were us<strong>in</strong>g paper plates.
They told us when wve went out, to keep our coats on, because it was
too cold, but that consideration was not carried over to the patients.
The outstand<strong>in</strong>g feature of this problem was the complete <strong>in</strong>difference
of the adm<strong>in</strong>istration and staff to the discomfort and actual
danger to the patients.
The adm<strong>in</strong>istrator did not provide extra blankets until told. Neither
of the licensees appeared. Rabbi Bergman, husband of one of the
licensees, came <strong>in</strong> about 3 p.m. He said he was send<strong>in</strong>g 100 more
blankets from those on order for Park Crescent. This after the heat
had been off, or low for 5 days. The staff were bundled up, but put no
extra wraps on the patients. No hot dr<strong>in</strong>ks were served. The patients
were not checked for reactions. Temperatures were not taken until
suggested by us. There were signs of smok<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> many areas.
One patient said they had taken the patients from the rear build<strong>in</strong>g
and put them <strong>in</strong> a hall, but nevertheless, it was a wide hall, and you
could not even walk between beds.
All of the equipment was all over, the dishes, and the dirt was
<strong>in</strong>describable.
I do not want to go through the whole th<strong>in</strong>g, but that is just some of
the th<strong>in</strong>gs we found.
At another nurs<strong>in</strong>g home, my <strong>in</strong>spector went <strong>in</strong> there <strong>in</strong> the morn<strong>in</strong>g
at 6 o'clock, and he came back, and he said this is it.
He had a small plastic bowl, and a plastic spoon, and he said patients
were given breakfast <strong>in</strong> this, they were served cereal and a cup of
coffee.
That was <strong>in</strong> a cup, <strong>in</strong> a plastic dish, and a spoon. They had an egg,
and when they f<strong>in</strong>ished the cereal, they could break the egg with the
spoon, and put it <strong>in</strong> the plastic dish.
They could spread the butter on their bread with the same little plastic
spoon, and then presumably brought the coffee.
We had the licensee <strong>in</strong> on that. He said he did not realize that he was
<strong>in</strong> violation, and he would see that it was cleared up.
He did get there himself and see it, and the next time we went there,
it had been cleared up.
That was one of the problems, they would clear up the th<strong>in</strong>gs when
we went there, but they did not see them themselves, and this would go
on <strong>in</strong>def<strong>in</strong>itely until we came through.
Another time, I had gone up there with Dr. Bower. At that time
he was the deputy commissioner, and my immediate supervisor.