A.C. Thompson and Jonathan Jones, Life and Death in Assisted Living. ProPublica and FRONTLINE, four-part series and documentary, 29 July-1 August 2013. “This FRONTLINE co-production with ProPublica features investigative reporter A.C. Thompson, who goes behind closed doors in assisted living facilities across the country to reveal how this multibillion-dollar industry is putting seniors at risk with little or no official scrutiny or regulation. Assisted Living has been marketed as a safer, more humane alternative to nursing homes, but Thompson uncovers just how far this is from the truth. In lively interviews and with unprecedented access, Thompson makes a strong case for tougher oversight and regulation of the facilities that house 750,000 seniors in America.” Sharon Tiller, an executive producer at The Center for Investigative Reporting.
Excerpt from story:
The facility [Emeritus at Emerald Hills in Auburn, CA] relied on a single nurse to track the health of its scores of residents, and the few licensed medical professionals who worked there tended not to last long. During the three years prior to [Joan Boice’s] arrival, Emerald Hills had cycled through three nurses and was now employing its fourth. At least one of those nurses was alarmed by what she saw, telling top Emeritus executives — in writing — that Emerald Hills suffered from “a huge shortage of staff” and was mired in “total dysfunction.”
During some stretches, the facility went months without a full-time nurse on the payroll.
The paucity of workers led to neglect, according to a nurse who oversaw the facility before resigning in disgust. Calls for help went unanswered. Residents suffering from incontinence were left soaking in their own urine. One woman, addled by dementia, was allowed to urinate in the same spot in the hallway of the memory care wing over and over and over.
The brochure also made no mention of the company’s problems at its other facilities. State inspectors for years had cited Emeritus facilities across California, faulting them for failing to employ enough staff members or adequately train them, as well as for other basic shortcomings.