Emeritus Senior Living – Exposed

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We have experienced the neglectful “care” of Emeritus first hand. Finally, this exposé by PBS Frontline and ProPublica is shining a bright spotlight on the company and their unethical practices. Long overdue.

I encourage you to take the time to watch the program, and to share it with friends and family. Individually, it’s impossible to fight a corporate behemoth like this one, but there’s power in numbers… At the very least, people in search of care should know what goes on behind closed doors at Emeritus facilities.

Time and time again, it’s been shown that priority #1 is dollars and cents – the bottom line on those financial statements. Cut labor, fill the building, don’t call the ethics hotline, bring in advanced dementia cases (they’re the big money makers), don’t staff according to ratios – we might get sued, stick to the  “keep the back door closed” policy. It goes on and on and on.

Yet Emeritus would have us think they’re simply a target – a “victim of their own growth and success.” In the end, karma handles things appropriately, and I have no doubt the same will hold true here. Thank you Frontline, ProPublica, and A.C. Thompson for starting to crack open the door for all to see…

Stay tuned for more in the coming days.

Watch Life and Death in Assisted Living on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.

Call to Action: Please Help!

Let’s join forces to rally support for use of PET scans as an early diagnostic tool. Doing so could help thousands of patients begin the most appropriate course of care as early as possible in the process. PET imaging is FDA approved, but Medicare has proposed imposing additional barriers, delays, and costs for doctors and patients seeking to use this new technology. We have less than 3 days to tell them to reverse course. Click the link to share your opinion with decision makers! (Then share the link with friends and family!)

http://actions.usagainstalzheimers.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=11696

To Tweet Or Not To Tweet…

This week, NPR host Scott Simon tweeted from his mother’s bedside as she reached the end of her journey on Earth. And of course, people chimed in with their two cents about whether or not sharing such intimate moments with the world was appropriate. 

My mom has been gone for 7 1/2 months now, but I remember those last days like they were yesterday…

A particularly special and treasured memory … one of my dearest friends and I painting Mom’s nails as she lay quietly sleeping. By then, we knew it wouldn’t be long – the end was near. The wonderful staff at Kobacker House dressed her in a pretty fresh nightgown each morning and she needed pretty pink nails to match…

mom handsI’d give anything to hold her hand again. Such a simple thing, yet so often we forget it’s those simple things that matter when nothing else does. We lose sight of what is truly important as we go about our busy lives. But holding someone’s hand – that’s important.

“When she asked for my help last night, we locked eyes. She calmed down.
A look of love that surpasses understanding.” ~Scott Simon

There has been considerable debate over whether Scott’s tweets have been too personal… some people don’t feel this type of sharing was appropriate. But, I understand Scott’s need to express himself this way. As I sat with my mom in those final days, I found connecting with people via my blog and FB very comforting. Sharing those moments – it was cathartic in a way. It’s impossible to explain; I guess I needed for people to understand what we were going through. I needed to know people cared and that I wasn’t alone.

Everyone handles things differently. I heard a psychologist weigh in on the topic last night, saying that this form of expression is understandable and can be extremely therapeutic for some people. Just as we don’t criticize those who prefer to grieve in silence, neither should we criticize those who find some solace in connecting with others – through whatever means they choose.

May Scott’s mother rest in peace, and may he find peace as well…