This is a follow up to this story...
Murder, suicide at Oakland nursing home - 64 yr old Woman Shot Disabled Daughter then Herself
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6545323 Mom who shot daughter had complained about care
Erin Allday, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, September 19, 2009
In the six years that her daughter lived at Oakland Springs Health Care Center, Diana Harden had lodged at least two complaints against the facility, alleging that Yvette Harden was verbally abused by staff members and was not given proper care and equipment.
Oakland Springs had become a home of last resort for Yvette Harden, 43, who was paralyzed and suffered a serious brain injury in a car accident 15 years ago. She'd bounced from one nursing home to another, and lived with her mother for a while.
On Sunday night, Diana Harden, 64, went to Oakland Springs to see her daughter. She brought a gun, and shot and killed Yvette Harden and then killed herself. The day before, she'd sent a letter to a KGO-TV news reporter outlining the reasons for her actions. She stated allegations of abuse, which included charges that staff members had called her daughter a "fat pig" and subjected her to cold showers where she was washed "like a car."
Neighbors at the Livermore mobile home park where Harden lived said that while she often talked about her daughter, she never complained about the nursing home, and they were stunned at what she'd done. But they said Harden had become increasingly worried for her daughter's well being and long-term care, especially as her own health declined.
Harden "mentioned twice that her daughter didn't want to put up with it anymore. But you don't expect this," said Paul Rosa, who lived next door to Harden. "She was very kind, a wonderful person. I think it just became too much."
Read more:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/19/BAIC19P84E.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0RZCDnHOg
Top 3 reader responses at sfgate...
This is sad and another reflection of our failed health care system.
Yet another example of what happens when republicans deregulate everything.
So few 'quality' homes in California. Why? And if they are decent, you end up paying through the nose each month. It's a no-win situation. This is how we treat our citizens who are no longer of use to us. Absolutely disgraceful.