Kudos to Mr. Edward Comfort of the National Decubitus Foundation for his very thorough description of this severe oversight taking place in hospitals across this country and it goes un-noticed most of the time and when someone fights and tries to make a difference and motivate an honest politician that is really concerned about people, you are left with an unpleasant, sobering experience that there just isn't a caring or honest politician that can detach themselves from the influential medical lobby that provides and indestructible shield for the hospitals and it's doctors, who should be severely punished for not reporting such incidents and then to have a whitewash take place from every level of government from the state level to the federal level. Medicaid, Medicare, Congress, the Inspector General, the Secretary of Heath and Human Services right up to the man in the White House-Democrat or Republican.
The reason that I am certain that this corrupt government that is responsible for the deaths of the patients that incur these wounds and are denied the special air mattresses to try to prevent them at an earlier stage and the politicians ignore every plea as my wife and I went to bat for her mother, who died in February of 2006 and it's the story that Ed Comfort had described earlier involving the Attorney General of Connecticut as the spearhead for some new legislation. Well, I will take this time to update that by saying that the 2 female representatives that were the chairs of the Connecticut Legislative committee received the legislation from the Attorney General and Rep. Paul Davis or Orange, Milford, West Haven and they said that it will never pass and without an exact reason to allow this to be voted on, they just threw it in the garbarge as they did with my wife's mother and every other person that suffered the same in the past and all those in the future unless these selfish politicians, who only act, when it hits close to home or a friend of theirs. They are not concerned with the average citizens in this country. This is evident by them totally ignoring the wishes of the citizens to close the border, repair our bridges, provide safety for the food and products coming from overseas and outsourcing jobs to other countries-while assisting the corporations by paying have of the moving expense of their headquarters and factories to other lands. This country is up for sale at a bargain basement price and the citizens should revolt without fear of reprisal from the national guard or the army as most of them are overseas and the personnel that are here will not shoot us as they would be killing their friends and relatives. My wife and I are not advocating violence but a vast outcry in large numbers to all the swarthy politicians that just work for the select few special interest groups in this country and only manage to pass idiotic and useless legislation (pork barrel attachments) to major bills to benefit their friends and themselves. It's time the incumbents be swept out of Washington in exchange for some new blood and perhaps honest politicians that are not afraid to represent the people.
If all of you, who read this, feel the same about responsibility be placed in the corners of the hospitals, doctors and politicians, please let it be known to everyone in Washington. We've written to a fair number of Washington high ranking officials and presidential candidates but only received 2 generic responses from Lieberman and Kennedy six months after we originally wrote to them. Hillary, Obama, the Majority and Minority leaders in the Senate and the House, including Speaker Pelosi, didn't have the courtesy to answer.
This subject of hospital safety and responsibility is a subject they just don't want to discusss as it will ruffle the feathers of the buddies that they pander to.
If we want a solution we must reply in unison and in numbers to shake these fools back to reality.
Our anger, is quite evident, I am sure, but if you've been through what we went through being appeased and then dropped like a hot potato, then it will not surprise you. It was a long battle, which we lost, but all of us together CAN WITH THE WAR on Decubitus Ulcer Crimes by poor caregivers, who must be held responsible whether it be the doctors or most likely the hospital administrators and Risk manager as the hospital supplies a convenient buffer for the real criminals and they are the doctors and the nurses that allow someone to remain in the same position for hours and days on end resulting in Stage III and IV bed sores that eventually will kill or maim the patient.
Not all nurses and doctors are bad, it's only a very small percentage, who must be reckoned with and be subject to loss of license for a period of time or imprisonment. This way that would make them serve as the example of what will happen and exclude them forever from the list of immunity for their crimes.
Every one in this country has to answer, crooked lawyers, wayward priests, even politicians, so why not doctors? They are the only ones that are immune as a working class unless you are a friend of Dick Cheney or George W. Bush, ie: Scooter Libby.
My wife and I are happy to be on the Board of Directors of the National Decubitus Foundation as we are not college educated, but we are savvy as to what is going on in this country as it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know and it CAN BE STOPPED NOW IF WE ACT!
I will close now and wish all of you and your loved happiness, prosperity and most of all good health and happy and safe experiences if you are every hospitalized.
Thank you Mr. Edward Comfort, a gentlemen, who was helpful in our battle and who has experienced the same nightmarish experience with his own mother.
God Bless.
Respectfully yours,
George Mandell on behalf of my wife, her brother, her dad and the memory of her mother, Naomi K. Press.
Kudos to you, Mr. Mandrell. You say exactly what I feel. My mother developed 14 stage 4 bed sores in a hospital after suffering a stroke. She eventually died after 7 months of suffering. I started my lawsuit against the hospital prior to my mother's death. We just finished negotiating a settlement. I do not feel that I got justice for my mother because the hospitals set aside money for these types of lawsuits and, in New York, nurses are unionized. That means they are not fired unless they are actually caught physically abusing a patient.
If a bed sore developes on a patient during a nurses shift, then then the team taking care of the patient (i.e. the doctor, nurse, nurses aides and nurses techs) need to be held responsible for that bed sore occuring. Whatever that justice is, whether it be jail time or not, the minimum penalty should be the permanent loss of their liscence to practice.
I would also like to inform all readers that my mother was a nurse years ago and she cared for patients in a convalescent home in Fairfield, Ct. She would pull extra duty and care for them, without pay, if they were dying and provided them with companionship and love right to the end. She was a special lady and didn't provide care for only the monetary reasons that are so prevalent today.
In the 1950's and 1960's, doctors spent time with you to discuss the diagnose or results of your exam but today you enter a physician's office and you are put into a one room out of 10 or 12 and he or she flies in and out quickly as time is money and each patient they see simply adds to the coffer-it's so impersonal and definitely not in good taste. Oh, for the day, when the doctor actually made house calls-We can dream can't we, but it's only a dream and a thing of the past.
The condemnation of politicians is confident and universal in nature but for the doctors and nurses it's only the small percentage only that needs some sort of penalty and be made to stand up and face the music and be willing to accept responsibility for their poor care of the patient or patients.
Thank you again for allowing me to ramble, but we are quite passionate about changing and hopefully repairing this severely broken system of health care.
Recently medicare and medicaid have changed their reimbursement practices so that hospitals are not paid to treat bed sores that they cause. This should motivate hospitals to work dilligently towards eliminating these conditions. Hopefully this will hasten the adoption of your proposed risk assessment. I am interested in your thoughts on how this will turn out.
I am currentlly in the position of what so many family members have experienced with Pressure wounds in a hospital setting. The cover up, denial or responsibility and the charades involved with risk management teams, doctors, nursing staff...........etc.
My brother, 47 years of age had a elective surgery performed. A hernia repair. Now, almost three months later because of neglect and abuse he has stage IV pressure wounds. And all the hospital wants to do is
hide it and send him on to a subacute nursing home to die. They will take no responsibility. And this is a highly accredited hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The wounds were hid for 4 weeks. Even after we asked what the odor was when we walked in the room. Finally, we insisted on seeing the small bedsore. Shock and panic was I that ran through us when we say the wound. There was nothing left of his buttocks. They debrieded the wound, put him on multiple courses of antibiotics. And his feet have not touched the ground in three months. Now there are sores
developing on his heels and hips.
I feel so helpless, and would appreciate anyone interested to send some information to guide me.
I know if he is transfered to a nursing home he will die. The hospital says they no longer can care for him.
And this was not their fault. So so many lies. All I want is for the hospital to keep him there.
Any direction you can send would be much appreciated.
I write on behalf of my late husband, who passed away 2/28/07 at a hospital in Lewiston Maine. He had, for over a year, a Stage III-IV decub. He went in the hospital in 11/05 with a heart attack, healthy other than that. The decub developed over his first three weeks in hospital. From there it continued to deteriorate, through out his 15 month Cardiac Care/then CCU stay. Demands for fixing the problem were ignored, or covered over with consultations that did little. Compromised nutritional situation led to the further disintegration of the decub which was a horrible thing at the base of his back. I still see it in my nightmares, whether awake or asleep. I am hoping that the Decubitis Foundation can make enough changes so that this doesn't continue to happen and that hospitals are to made more fully accountable for this tragedy.
My first post here was in January 2007. At that time my 47 year old brother who had entered a hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan for an elective surgury, (Hernia Repair). He entered the hospital in October and he
died at the hospital in April 2008. He died of Pressure ulcers. He died from neglect and abuse. His doctors,
Risk Management, Teams of nurses, medicaid, all kept their distance, all denied and defended, each and
everyone allowed him to develope a pressure ulcer, kept it hidden for 4 weeks, and continued to take
no responsibility. His system eventually shut down. Full of infection, organs failed. Sepsis. But even
then no one involved in his care would even utter this word. His death certificate states organ failure.
How could this happen in a Hospital with the credentials it holds? How could this happen in the United
States? How could anyone let someone die suc a horrible death? For those of you that have experienced this, you understand. For those of you that have not. I can only say you would not let your worst enemy
die in this manner.
I have worked no stop to bring my brothers death to the forefront. An investigation was finally
begun by the State of Michigan. With much determination on my part to get his death investigated.
It has been 11 months now since his death. And am still waiting for the final report to be released
to be. The state of michigan only investigates claim that they feel may be a possible violation of
medicaid or medicare laws. They only investige 5 % of the claims they receive. My brothers death
was one that they investigated. The process to do this is so time consuming, the channels that must
be taken to get this report completed and the amount of road block you encounter all along the way
are pain stakeing. But I urge all of you to take these cases to the state. Than we can begin to
solve and save lives.
Comments
Kudos to Mr. Edward Comfort of the National Decubitus Foundation for his very thorough description of this severe oversight taking place in hospitals across this country and it goes un-noticed most of the time and when someone fights and tries to make a difference and motivate an honest politician that is really concerned about people, you are left with an unpleasant, sobering experience that there just isn't a caring or honest politician that can detach themselves from the influential medical lobby that provides and indestructible shield for the hospitals and it's doctors, who should be severely punished for not reporting such incidents and then to have a whitewash take place from every level of government from the state level to the federal level. Medicaid, Medicare, Congress, the Inspector General, the Secretary of Heath and Human Services right up to the man in the White House-Democrat or Republican.
The reason that I am certain that this corrupt government that is responsible for the deaths of the patients that incur these wounds and are denied the special air mattresses to try to prevent them at an earlier stage and the politicians ignore every plea as my wife and I went to bat for her mother, who died in February of 2006 and it's the story that Ed Comfort had described earlier involving the Attorney General of Connecticut as the spearhead for some new legislation. Well, I will take this time to update that by saying that the 2 female representatives that were the chairs of the Connecticut Legislative committee received the legislation from the Attorney General and Rep. Paul Davis or Orange, Milford, West Haven and they said that it will never pass and without an exact reason to allow this to be voted on, they just threw it in the garbarge as they did with my wife's mother and every other person that suffered the same in the past and all those in the future unless these selfish politicians, who only act, when it hits close to home or a friend of theirs. They are not concerned with the average citizens in this country. This is evident by them totally ignoring the wishes of the citizens to close the border, repair our bridges, provide safety for the food and products coming from overseas and outsourcing jobs to other countries-while assisting the corporations by paying have of the moving expense of their headquarters and factories to other lands. This country is up for sale at a bargain basement price and the citizens should revolt without fear of reprisal from the national guard or the army as most of them are overseas and the personnel that are here will not shoot us as they would be killing their friends and relatives. My wife and I are not advocating violence but a vast outcry in large numbers to all the swarthy politicians that just work for the select few special interest groups in this country and only manage to pass idiotic and useless legislation (pork barrel attachments) to major bills to benefit their friends and themselves. It's time the incumbents be swept out of Washington in exchange for some new blood and perhaps honest politicians that are not afraid to represent the people.
If all of you, who read this, feel the same about responsibility be placed in the corners of the hospitals, doctors and politicians, please let it be known to everyone in Washington. We've written to a fair number of Washington high ranking officials and presidential candidates but only received 2 generic responses from Lieberman and Kennedy six months after we originally wrote to them. Hillary, Obama, the Majority and Minority leaders in the Senate and the House, including Speaker Pelosi, didn't have the courtesy to answer.
This subject of hospital safety and responsibility is a subject they just don't want to discusss as it will ruffle the feathers of the buddies that they pander to.
If we want a solution we must reply in unison and in numbers to shake these fools back to reality.
Our anger, is quite evident, I am sure, but if you've been through what we went through being appeased and then dropped like a hot potato, then it will not surprise you. It was a long battle, which we lost, but all of us together CAN WITH THE WAR on Decubitus Ulcer Crimes by poor caregivers, who must be held responsible whether it be the doctors or most likely the hospital administrators and Risk manager as the hospital supplies a convenient buffer for the real criminals and they are the doctors and the nurses that allow someone to remain in the same position for hours and days on end resulting in Stage III and IV bed sores that eventually will kill or maim the patient.
Not all nurses and doctors are bad, it's only a very small percentage, who must be reckoned with and be subject to loss of license for a period of time or imprisonment. This way that would make them serve as the example of what will happen and exclude them forever from the list of immunity for their crimes.
Every one in this country has to answer, crooked lawyers, wayward priests, even politicians, so why not doctors? They are the only ones that are immune as a working class unless you are a friend of Dick Cheney or George W. Bush, ie: Scooter Libby.
My wife and I are happy to be on the Board of Directors of the National Decubitus Foundation as we are not college educated, but we are savvy as to what is going on in this country as it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know and it CAN BE STOPPED NOW IF WE ACT!
I will close now and wish all of you and your loved happiness, prosperity and most of all good health and happy and safe experiences if you are every hospitalized.
Thank you Mr. Edward Comfort, a gentlemen, who was helpful in our battle and who has experienced the same nightmarish experience with his own mother.
God Bless.
Respectfully yours,
George Mandell on behalf of my wife, her brother, her dad and the memory of her mother, Naomi K. Press.
Kudos to you, Mr. Mandrell. You say exactly what I feel. My mother developed 14 stage 4 bed sores in a hospital after suffering a stroke. She eventually died after 7 months of suffering. I started my lawsuit against the hospital prior to my mother's death. We just finished negotiating a settlement. I do not feel that I got justice for my mother because the hospitals set aside money for these types of lawsuits and, in New York, nurses are unionized. That means they are not fired unless they are actually caught physically abusing a patient.
If a bed sore developes on a patient during a nurses shift, then then the team taking care of the patient (i.e. the doctor, nurse, nurses aides and nurses techs) need to be held responsible for that bed sore occuring. Whatever that justice is, whether it be jail time or not, the minimum penalty should be the permanent loss of their liscence to practice.
Respectfully yours,
George Mandell
I would also like to inform all readers that my mother was a nurse years ago and she cared for patients in a convalescent home in Fairfield, Ct. She would pull extra duty and care for them, without pay, if they were dying and provided them with companionship and love right to the end. She was a special lady and didn't provide care for only the monetary reasons that are so prevalent today.
In the 1950's and 1960's, doctors spent time with you to discuss the diagnose or results of your exam but today you enter a physician's office and you are put into a one room out of 10 or 12 and he or she flies in and out quickly as time is money and each patient they see simply adds to the coffer-it's so impersonal and definitely not in good taste. Oh, for the day, when the doctor actually made house calls-We can dream can't we, but it's only a dream and a thing of the past.
The condemnation of politicians is confident and universal in nature but for the doctors and nurses it's only the small percentage only that needs some sort of penalty and be made to stand up and face the music and be willing to accept responsibility for their poor care of the patient or patients.
Thank you again for allowing me to ramble, but we are quite passionate about changing and hopefully repairing this severely broken system of health care.
Respectfully yours,
George Mandell
Recently medicare and medicaid have changed their reimbursement practices so that hospitals are not paid to treat bed sores that they cause. This should motivate hospitals to work dilligently towards eliminating these conditions. Hopefully this will hasten the adoption of your proposed risk assessment. I am interested in your thoughts on how this will turn out.
Prashant
I am currentlly in the position of what so many family members have experienced with Pressure wounds in a hospital setting. The cover up, denial or responsibility and the charades involved with risk management teams, doctors, nursing staff...........etc.
My brother, 47 years of age had a elective surgery performed. A hernia repair. Now, almost three months later because of neglect and abuse he has stage IV pressure wounds. And all the hospital wants to do is
hide it and send him on to a subacute nursing home to die. They will take no responsibility. And this is a highly accredited hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The wounds were hid for 4 weeks. Even after we asked what the odor was when we walked in the room. Finally, we insisted on seeing the small bedsore. Shock and panic was I that ran through us when we say the wound. There was nothing left of his buttocks. They debrieded the wound, put him on multiple courses of antibiotics. And his feet have not touched the ground in three months. Now there are sores
developing on his heels and hips.
I feel so helpless, and would appreciate anyone interested to send some information to guide me.
I know if he is transfered to a nursing home he will die. The hospital says they no longer can care for him.
And this was not their fault. So so many lies. All I want is for the hospital to keep him there.
Any direction you can send would be much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Ms. Denise Caliendo
Naperville, IL
I write on behalf of my late husband, who passed away 2/28/07 at a hospital in Lewiston Maine. He had, for over a year, a Stage III-IV decub. He went in the hospital in 11/05 with a heart attack, healthy other than that. The decub developed over his first three weeks in hospital. From there it continued to deteriorate, through out his 15 month Cardiac Care/then CCU stay. Demands for fixing the problem were ignored, or covered over with consultations that did little. Compromised nutritional situation led to the further disintegration of the decub which was a horrible thing at the base of his back. I still see it in my nightmares, whether awake or asleep. I am hoping that the Decubitis Foundation can make enough changes so that this doesn't continue to happen and that hospitals are to made more fully accountable for this tragedy.
My first post here was in January 2007. At that time my 47 year old brother who had entered a hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan for an elective surgury, (Hernia Repair). He entered the hospital in October and he
died at the hospital in April 2008. He died of Pressure ulcers. He died from neglect and abuse. His doctors,
Risk Management, Teams of nurses, medicaid, all kept their distance, all denied and defended, each and
everyone allowed him to develope a pressure ulcer, kept it hidden for 4 weeks, and continued to take
no responsibility. His system eventually shut down. Full of infection, organs failed. Sepsis. But even
then no one involved in his care would even utter this word. His death certificate states organ failure.
How could this happen in a Hospital with the credentials it holds? How could this happen in the United
States? How could anyone let someone die suc a horrible death? For those of you that have experienced this, you understand. For those of you that have not. I can only say you would not let your worst enemy
die in this manner.
I have worked no stop to bring my brothers death to the forefront. An investigation was finally
begun by the State of Michigan. With much determination on my part to get his death investigated.
It has been 11 months now since his death. And am still waiting for the final report to be released
to be. The state of michigan only investigates claim that they feel may be a possible violation of
medicaid or medicare laws. They only investige 5 % of the claims they receive. My brothers death
was one that they investigated. The process to do this is so time consuming, the channels that must
be taken to get this report completed and the amount of road block you encounter all along the way
are pain stakeing. But I urge all of you to take these cases to the state. Than we can begin to
solve and save lives.
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