My mother was at Franke Tobey Jones, first in an apartment, then assisted living and finally the…read morenursing home part of the facility. She enjoyed going for her daily walks participating in classes. She developed a deep friendship with one of the other residents. Staff were kind to her.
The beginning of the tragic turmoil began during her transfer to the HCC. She was shocked. She was excluded from having any part in decision making for the HCC. When I took her to see her new room she sat down and cried, "Please don't let them put me here". I told the nurse, but they went forth with placing her in the HCC against her will. FTJ has a history of not disclosing that the nursing home (HCC) is far more restrictive and that the resident may not need this level of medical care.
In the age bracket of my mother, residents are transferred to nursing homes, in order to access nursing home insurance. Through rapid transfer, isolation, immobility and restricting communication, my mother lost her level of functioning rapidly into the parameters of the insurance. The transfer to HCC, was over $10,000 per month. My mother was sent to live in a constricted small room along a dark hallway. When she looked out her windows she saw parked cars right in front of her room. After placement in the HCC, FTJ could then rent out the beautiful assisted living unit she had lived in with views of Mt. Rainier over the fountain.
One of the administrators informed me that residents are often transferred before they need that level of care. A direct care provider told me how residents are placed with no contact with friends or family for two weeks. When I came to visit and support my mother two days after her move, I was told to leave immediately or they would call the 'authorities'. I asked to speak to the CEO, who was a compassionate man. I was told he was not available and I must leave. There was no consideration for our mother's needs for support from the family. She later told me she thought she would never get to see me again in her lifetime.
Another staff member told me how residents are transferred and cry for a few days. She went on to say that staff give them lots of attention and gradually they adapt. After transferring from assisted living to the HCC I observed that residents were no longer looking up and engaging with others, like they did before. From my perspective the move against my mother's will, isolation, restraint to wheelchair is 'kidnapping'. I never would have believed before that FTJ would do this to her.
My mother grieved, with her loss of freedom, choice and respect. She had been a social activist for equal rights of minorities in Tacoma and president of the YWCA. She trusted the medical system, as a professional in the field herself. How ironic that a citizen who fought for equal rights would have these taken from her when she became an elder.
My mother had been promised with the move that she would get to eat with her friends. Never again. She was no longer allowed to get up and walk on her own with her walker. She was placed in a transport wheelchair, with footrests. My mother was restrained through taking away her means of mobility, unplugging her telephone, not allowing her to eat or visit with her friends in assisted living. My mother told me, "I am imprisoned. I have no more rights. I cannot speak at a deep level. I must be superficial in my conversation or they will confine me even more." "When I die I want you to be free. To go where you are loved and never have to come back".
The new Nursing Supervisor, Jenny Dooley, RN, had been my mother's Nursing Care Coordinator from Sound Options. She put further restrictions in place. My mother could no longer eat with anyone from outside FTJ staff, including healthcare professionals specializing in this field. My mother wanted to go out with her sister to eat and go with myself to her beach cabin. This right was withdrawn, even with accommodations including adaptive equipment and care providers. As a retired ARNP, who was a rehabilitation disability specialist, it was so hard to simply stand back and watch it all happen. FTJ lacked the knowledge and provided unsafe behaviors in eating and drinking, toileting, transfers, and working collaboratively with family.
When the struggle impaired my health I had to give up on trying to support my mother's duration of life. I needed to adapt her quality of life needs to simply visitation in her room, and never again to go visit family or even go to her own home. I even needed to get an attorney to quote the Washington state laws in order to be with my mother as much as SHE wanted 24/7 for her last month of life. FTJ had requested no more than 2 hours a day, which was devastating for my mother. FTJ forgets how one's life expectancy is significantly reduced when opportunity to be with loved ones is restricted. My mother felt trapped and at FTJ's mercy until she passed. Then she was free.
