NEGLECT: Family tragedy worsened

I hope the following will serve as a lesson to other families to act sooner, rather than later. This is a series of events that took place after my sister was admitted to a local Coeur d’Alene nursing home.

My sister had terminal breast cancer. She was admitted to an extended care and rehab center on April 6. From the very start I realized she was not receiving suitable care, i.e., it took 12 days for her to have a bed bath; there was strong urine odor in her room; the electric bed didn’t operate properly; the staff failed to notice she had crippling arthritis and couldn’t hold a bowl or cut her meat; a copy of her power of attorney was left in public view and a non-family member took it. I could go on.

My family tried on two separate occasions to have her transferred. The last time the administrative staff was so slow and uncooperative that my sister died the morning we finalized the arrangements, April 23. All because the necessary paperwork had not been completed upon admission.

Now to add insult to injury, here it is May 3rd. I’m still waiting for the funeral home to cremate my sister’s remains, but the doctor can’t figure out how to electronically sign the death certificate. Now tell me, in this day and age why it takes a doctor 10 days to sign a simple death certificate? I just want to put my sister’s body to rest. Is that asking too much?

P. S. Finally it’s the afternoon of May 4 and I can pick up my sister’s ashes. Maybe now we can all rest in peace.

TAMMY HOUSE

Post Falls