Sunrise Senior Living
#1
07-10-2007, 02:51 PM
Sunrise Senior Living
Assisted Living Nightmares
Our I-Team is exposing a state agency that is failing to protect the elderly. An I-Team investigation found assisted living centers all across the commonwealth that have been allowed to stay in business, despite patterns of poor care. Why is this happening? And could someone you know be in danger? I-Team reporter Joe Bergantino exposes why the state isn’t doing more to keep our senior citizens safe!
There are two faces to the world of assisted living. The one the industry would like you to see and the face of eighty year old Geraldine DiLorenzo.
Mark DiLorenzo: “If you look at the pictures, he had to hit her at least three times, two, three times, good punches.”
It happened here at Sunrise Assisted Living in Wayland. The attacker, another resident.
Mark DiLorenzo: “They told us when we enrolled her and bought the room that if anybody gets violent, they would remove them right away. And they weren’t doing that.”
State inspectors cited Sunrise of Wayland for withholding information about the attacker’s history of aggressive behavior, for not doing criminal background checks on workers, for hiring a convicted felon, and for multiple medication errors.
Now the I-Team has learned there are allegations that a staff member here sexually assaulted a woman in her nineties.
Attorney David Hoey represents the victim’s family.
David Hoey: “It’s the failure to supervise, the failure to monitor. It all boils down to mismanagement.”
Sunrise of Wayland’s response? The company disagrees with the state’s finding that another resident struck Geraldine DiLorenzo and the facility says the sexual assault allegation is unfounded.
So are these isolated cases? Our I-Team investigation has uncovered a pattern of questionable care affecting the lives of thousands of seniors in Massachusetts. And we’ve learned the state agency that’s supposed to be protecting these residents is not doing its job.
The problem: only two state inspectors at the office of Elder Affairs for a growing number of assisted living facilities, now 178.
And current state regulations are weak.
Karen Love, Consumer Consortium on Assisted Living: “That leaves them ill equipped and really unprepared for egregious problems and complaints that come through the department.”
Another problem?
The state seems unwilling to follow through on punishing repeat offenders.
Examples:
At Gabriel House in Fall River, twice in 2002, not enough staff. In 2002 and 2003, unlicensed workers giving out medication.
At Davis Manor in Lancaster, last year and again this year, multiple medication errors and staff performing skilled nursing care in violation of state regulations.
At Sunrise of Wayland, the state has twice in the past two years noted serious concerns about the safety of residents.
The state twice threatened to suspend the certification of all three assisted living centers, but never did.
The state says all three facilities have corrected their problems and at this moment are in good standing.
Jennifer Davis Carey heads up the state’s Executive Office of Elder Affairs.
Joe Bergantino: “Can you say to people honestly that this agency can make sure that residents aren’t in danger?”
Jennifer Davis Carey, Exec. Office of Elder Affairs: “We use our authority as aggressively as we can.”
Joe Bergantino: “So right now you’re saying under current regulations, you don’t have the authority to address a situation where patients are actually in physical danger inside one of these facilities?”
Jennifer Davis Carey, Executive Office of Elder Affairs: “I can’t speak to the specific allegation that has been raised in an ongoing investigation, but our regulatory authority is limited.”
Part of the problem here, state regulations have not kept up with the changing needs of the increasingly o
Our I-Team is exposing a state agency that is failing to protect the elderly. An I-Team investigation found assisted living centers all across the commonwealth that have been allowed to stay in business, despite patterns of poor care. Why is this happening? And could someone you know be in danger? I-Team reporter Joe Bergantino exposes why the state isn’t doing more to keep our senior citizens safe!
There are two faces to the world of assisted living. The one the industry would like you to see and the face of eighty year old Geraldine DiLorenzo.
Mark DiLorenzo: “If you look at the pictures, he had to hit her at least three times, two, three times, good punches.”
It happened here at Sunrise Assisted Living in Wayland. The attacker, another resident.
Mark DiLorenzo: “They told us when we enrolled her and bought the room that if anybody gets violent, they would remove them right away. And they weren’t doing that.”
State inspectors cited Sunrise of Wayland for withholding information about the attacker’s history of aggressive behavior, for not doing criminal background checks on workers, for hiring a convicted felon, and for multiple medication errors.
Now the I-Team has learned there are allegations that a staff member here sexually assaulted a woman in her nineties.
Attorney David Hoey represents the victim’s family.
David Hoey: “It’s the failure to supervise, the failure to monitor. It all boils down to mismanagement.”
Sunrise of Wayland’s response? The company disagrees with the state’s finding that another resident struck Geraldine DiLorenzo and the facility says the sexual assault allegation is unfounded.
So are these isolated cases? Our I-Team investigation has uncovered a pattern of questionable care affecting the lives of thousands of seniors in Massachusetts. And we’ve learned the state agency that’s supposed to be protecting these residents is not doing its job.
The problem: only two state inspectors at the office of Elder Affairs for a growing number of assisted living facilities, now 178.
And current state regulations are weak.
Karen Love, Consumer Consortium on Assisted Living: “That leaves them ill equipped and really unprepared for egregious problems and complaints that come through the department.”
Another problem?
The state seems unwilling to follow through on punishing repeat offenders.
Examples:
At Gabriel House in Fall River, twice in 2002, not enough staff. In 2002 and 2003, unlicensed workers giving out medication.
At Davis Manor in Lancaster, last year and again this year, multiple medication errors and staff performing skilled nursing care in violation of state regulations.
At Sunrise of Wayland, the state has twice in the past two years noted serious concerns about the safety of residents.
The state twice threatened to suspend the certification of all three assisted living centers, but never did.
The state says all three facilities have corrected their problems and at this moment are in good standing.
Jennifer Davis Carey heads up the state’s Executive Office of Elder Affairs.
Joe Bergantino: “Can you say to people honestly that this agency can make sure that residents aren’t in danger?”
Jennifer Davis Carey, Exec. Office of Elder Affairs: “We use our authority as aggressively as we can.”
Joe Bergantino: “So right now you’re saying under current regulations, you don’t have the authority to address a situation where patients are actually in physical danger inside one of these facilities?”
Jennifer Davis Carey, Executive Office of Elder Affairs: “I can’t speak to the specific allegation that has been raised in an ongoing investigation, but our regulatory authority is limited.”
Part of the problem here, state regulations have not kept up with the changing needs of the increasingly o
#2
07-10-2007, 03:32 PM
RE: Sunrise Senior Living
That f'ing disgusts me. I watched things like that before and was pissed off, but I hope those fukk3rs rot in jail for that. What kind of facility is that anyway? This is how ******** pay respects for people who fought for our country's freedom when they were younger, by not watching them and disregarding them because they don't feel like it or don't get paid, or just don't give two ****s because it's just a job for them, because that's how most of them feel that aren't doing the job.I'm sorry but those people should have the **** beat out of them and see how it feels. I don't know what pisses me off more, hate crimes or this kind of nonsense. Those bastards doing the hiring should be thrown in jail for hiring convicts and not doing their job, or just being lazy about it. [:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@]
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