Assisted living growing in Wisconsin, but some say regulations not keeping up

[TexasTowelie]

When Virginia Carpenter moved into assisted living at Oak Park Place in Madison, her children thought their 88-year-old mother — who had dementia, used a wheelchair and needed help with eating, bathing, taking medications and going to the bathroom — would be safe.

But 17 days later, the former Avon lady and Sweet Adelines singer was rushed to SSM Health Emergency Center in Sun Prairie. She had such a high sodium level from dehydration and low protein level from malnutrition, a nurse called her test results “panic labs.”

Carpenter had lost 18 pounds and hadn’t had a bowel movement in a week. Dried, caked food on the top of her mouth had to be surgically removed. She had been having trouble swallowing for days, but workers at Oak Park Place delayed seeking medical help, court and state records show.

She was taken from the Sun Prairie ER to UW Hospital, then transferred to Agrace HospiceCare, where she died Feb. 18, 2012, a month after checking into assisted living.

Read more: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/health-med-fit/assisted-living-growing-in-wisconsin-but-some-say-regulations-not/article_c79faf0c-a0dc-5a42-96e5-f1921fcb46df.html

[TheDebbieDee]

1. I believe that lead pipes are causing health, learning disabilities

and criminal behavior issues in communities across the nation. Lead contaminated drinking water has been provided to more Americans for a much longer time than we will ever know...

[HelenWheels]

2. Health care should not be profit based

When profit enters health care good care suffers. The best care in my area is given by a County supported facility. It is a non-profit facility. I am a retired nurse who worked in the County facility and know patients receive good care there. My sister was a resident there for three years and received excellent care. Same for a cousin of mine.

I was a resident in a profit based facility to receive post surgery rehab. The food was poor and the staffing very minimal. Two aides worked on a unit with 24 patients, some requiring almost full care.

The pay for aides who do all the care is very low and this leads to high staff turn over.