K. Annie Fong
Northridge, CA MARCH 5, 2013
Kinfong135@gmail.com
INSIGHT OF HOMES FOR THE AGED
Owners of assisted living center arrested for illicit treatments to residents at Collegedale.
Lorraine Bayless, the Glenwood Gardens resident was certified with no pulse and not breathing when the paramedic reached the site, and finally, she died of a stroke February 26, remarked her primary doctor. Homes for the aged became one of the hit talks of the town after the publicized phone conversation between the 911 dispatcher and the caller at the Glenwood Gardens Bakersfield, CA.
Within a week, owners of the Moraa's Assisted Living Home, David and Agnes Machoka were arrested due to negligence and abusive treatments to their patients March 5. According to the police officer, the abused patients, who lived in the assisted home, filed reports. After investigation, the police spokesperson Cpl. Melvin Taylor stated that this Moraa's Assisted Living facility at Collegedale, TN was a converted home, and it has only one employee, who was unlicensed to administer medical care to patients. Taylor further remarked that in addition to physical abuse, some of the patients were dehydrated and with urinary track affection after examination. The services provided at the facility are far different from the advertised materials, where there is neither doctor nor a licensed nurse on site.
From the incident at the Glenwood Gardens, it left the public a mystery of why no one was willing to offer help to the dying woman, although the 911 dispatcher pleaded to get someone on the street to perform CPR to the collapsed. Finally, it was clarified that Bayless lived in the independent living facility like a senior apartment, where its employees were not permitted to execute CPR to residents; Bayless also had a living will to receive no life-prolonging medical interventions.
Independent living facilities are different from nursing homes or assisted living facilities. When seniors plan to move in to the assisted living facility, they or their family members should think of what personal assistance and level of health care needed in case of emergency. Pay a visit to the desired facility and chat with the residents there can help find out the quality and real services at the home, commented by one of the assisted living facility residents. In case, seniors have particular will such as refusal of life-prolonging treatment, they should make it known to the facility and the family members.
According to the recent US Census 2010, there were over 40 million people age 65 and over in the United States. There are approximately 80-90% of the seniors who want to live at own homes, which indicates about 10% seniors live at other homes such as nursing homes, assisted living homes or independent living facilities. With the technology and medical advancement, people can live well through their advance age. Therefore, it is expected that higher demand in the senior living facilities in the next ten years. Closer monitor and control of services provided at the homes are expected.
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