Does Mom's nursing home hold responsibility for her fall? And can we take her for a weekend?
Injuries and diagnoses being what they are, it would be difficult for you to prove that the nursing home caused or was even responsible for the hip fracture that seems to have been a setback for your mother.
But what comes through loudly and clearly is that you’re unhappy both with the care your mother is currently receiving—and with the way the staff and administration are handling your questions and concerns about her care.
Try contacting the facility’s ombudsman for help. He or she is an independent worker whose main task it is to make sure that nursing home residents’ rights are properly enforced. Most of them are also skilled mediators—and know the ins and outs of a particular nursing home and what steps might be taken to right a wrong situation. You can find out the name of the ombudsman at the particular nursing home by contacting The National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center at www.ltcombudsman.org.
If, after appealing to the nursing home staff, administrator, and ombudsman, you are still unable to get the help you need and the care that your mother needs, consider the somewhat drastic step of moving her to another facility. For many people, this is a lifesaver.
