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My Mother is in a nursing home. The Doctor that sees her will not take her off 1 med. that causes strokes. I have POA covers all
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I have POA/ durable general POA (covers all medical and business). The nursing home Doctor has put my Mother on Olanzapine, which has a Black Label Warning. It's not to be given to the elderly who has dementia and who have had a stroke before. Which both covers my Mother. We tried to talk to the Doctor, he said that we can't do anything, because he has the say on what she gets. We founded out that he was given it to her for over a year. Back in Dec., my Mom had a small sore on the outside of her foot. They always had a bandage on it, we never saw it. By the end of Mar., they said that she had to go to a wound doctor. The new doctor said that it was a pressure sore it had already become stage 3. He is treating it every week. Now home will not response to our questions about it.
You may want to look into moving her. It does not sound like they are receptive to her needs. You can also talk with a nursing home abuse lawyer and see if there is enough there to do anything. Hope that's helpful
Unfortunately if you cannot get her into a facility that seems more responsive or concerned she is likely to continue to go downhill quickly. She needs a 24-7 advocate and if you can afford it, might want to look into a private duty nurse.
There are a few issues here, but as my fellow colleagues stated, the two immediate concerns are finding a different facility for your mother and contacting an attorney who specializes in nursing home abuse and neglect.
First, regarding the doctor's prescriptions, there are limits to what a physician can and cannot do for a patient when the patient has a POA who instructs the physician NOT to administer a particular medication. The answer in your situation depends on additional facts, such as the current mental capacity of your mother (how severe is her dementia?) as well as a detailed history of her physical health and medications. The analysis can vary by state, too.
Second, based on the facts you presented regarding the pressure sore, there is no excuse for you, as the POA, not to have been notified of the specifics of the sore as soon as the nursing staff identified it or shortly thereafter. Even if it began as a mild wound, there is no justification that it progressed to a Stage III without you knowing the specifics.
Third, as you are not getting responses from the nursing home about the wound, you should speak to the Director of Nursing and the Administrator about your concerns. You may even want to contact your state's relevant agency and make a complaint.
Of course, there are a lot of competing considerations that come into play in this situation, so it is critical you speak to an attorney for a professional analysis before embarking on a course of action.
I am sorry to hear that you are having this ordeal with your Mother's doctor. The Georgia Long Term Care Facilities Residents' Bill of Rights gives a Resident or a Resident's Representative or Guardian: Personal Rights; Grievance Rights; and The right to file an action in court.
A Resident or their personal representative has the right to make certain basic choices concerning the care including the right to refuse medications, dietary restrictions and treatment. Please consult with a nursing home neglect attorney right away about your concerns with the care and treatment your Mother is receiving from the facility. Nursing home residents and/or their legal representatives have the right to access their nursing home records with notification. Contact the Georgia Ombudsman if you are not getting proper audience with the nursing home about your concerns. Fortunately, it sounds like you have a new physician that is giving you better and more responsive care. I wish you the best of luck.
