I work in a LTC/Rehab facility, and I've oftentimes wondered what became of those that were deemed troublemakers, or family members who created too many problems for the staff, they're sent to the Hospital and the facility they were in will no longer accept them. "Sorry, we're full!" Which is a useful line for saying: No way will we ever allow you back into this facility!
I've heard nurses say, after their admittance to a hospital: "Good luck to the family for finding a place for this person!"
I know one woman, a big trouble maker, after leaving our facility, could find no other facility in the city that would accept her. Luckily, a facility 130 miles away in St. George, UT accepted her, making it a long drive for the family to visit.
If I were an Administrator of one of these facilities, I would certainly want to get as much info on this potential resident as possible. Fall risk? She, or the family, filed a lawsuit in the last facility the resident was in, which is why that facility refuses to re-admit the person? Family members being too vigilant, forever pestering the staff? A resident that continually puts the call light on, taxing the staff?
More curiously, what happens in these smaller towns with just one nursing home and that nursing home, for whatever reason, rejects that potential resident?
I oftentimes read posts of the dumping of a family member in a nursing home as it's as easy as dumping an old TV at a recycling center, and I don't think the naïve realize its not that simple to do.
Has anyone run into this, of heard of it, someone unable to find a facility for their loved one, and what other options were there?
I have never heard of a person being kicked out of a Nursing Facility because they are a Fall Risk, family members being too vigilant and forever pestering staff; a resident continually putting on the call light and taxing staff, etc. That's what nursing homes are for and the staff at these places are trained for all of these situations.
The only time I've ever heard of someone getting kicked out of a Nursing Facility was for very unusual circumstances, such as being a menace towards other residents. In most cases though, staff is trained on how to deal with these people and will place them in an area so as to no longer be a problem. Elderly people often don't know what they're doing and may either be moved to an area where more staff is available for high fall risk patients, or may be put on a 15 minute check (as my dad was for a period of time, since he was trying to "self transport"), and they put him on 15 minute checks without moving him to a different room; as that can cause even more chaos and health issues for the resident.
There are State laws and I don't believe that a nursing facility can refuse a patient if they have rooms available. The only reason would be if the patient was on Medical Assistance and they didn't have any shared rooms open, as Medical Assistance doesn't cover independent rooms.
HOWEVER..if there ARE no shared rooms available, depending on the State you live in, a nursing facility may HAVE to take an individual in at the Title 19 (Medical Assistance) rate until a shared room DOES become available.
Yuo are correct that there are families that just dump family members in nursing facilities and never ever visit them again. There is a woman that lives in the facility my dad is at that hasn't been out of the facility (except for outside the facility for walks by staff, etc)/ nor seen her family in three years.
How very sad and what is wrong with people that they can't visit the ones you gave them birth, loved, and raised them. I really don't understand how these people sleep at night..seriously!!
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