Washington
Post
Frances
Stead Sellers
Health
Editor
from
Linda Leonard
MDH Contact Us
thank
you for your inquiry to the Maryland Department of Health. We make
every effort to respond to all inquiries in a timely manner, however,
if you need immediate assistance, please call 410-767-6500 during
regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00
p.m.), excluding State holidays. We look forward to assisting you.
--------
Please
do an article on group homes and psychiatric homes in the
Metropolitan area. Many clients are too sick mentally or physically
to be on their own and the weller clients become defacto onsite
caregivers and there is an outrageous amount of bullying which is
tolerated or encouraged by Keith Ellis, supervisor Bel Pre and he is
one of the bullies.
More
information at my site lydiagorbik.blogspot
I
believe moving me to Norbeck House which is much harder to manuver to
go to the bathroom or kitchen to make meals and do chores because the
long tube on oxygen condenser will not reach and I feel so weak from
not having medications, being forced to clean for the October
inspection at 12902 Valleywood Dr. Silver Spring just after I got out
of the hospital and then the forced move without my therapist or
medical doctor's approval to this facility, my pcp Dr. Polam was
outraged that they wanted her to sign off on sending me to a nursing
home and my purported RC at the time Nicole Briscoe who falsely
billed medicaid for care rarely showed up and messed up paperwork
beyond belief, did not bring the hospital papers that were in an
envelope for Dr. Polam and despite Dr. Polam saying come back in 2
weeks WITH THE HOSPITAL PAPERWORK, Nicole said to wait for the
county, Ms. Schmitt to see if I would qualify for assisted living
which I have learned is almost impossible to get. The ranch house at
Valleywood made making meals, going to the bathroom more accessible
than this large facility.
While
in the hospital I made a complaint about the way I was treated at Bel
Pre and Ms. Schmitt came out with card endangered clients aging and
disability but did nothing and would not return my calls.
I
believe this forced eviction and refusal to help me obtain somatic
meds is due to retribution for my many complaints to then Congressman
Van Hollen who was great in helping me with one or two problems but I
made a mistake in not contacting HUD, Maryland Board of Licensure,
and Medicaid. On Senator Van Hollen's website he said he could not
overturn a decision made by an agency but could make sure it was done
correctly.
I
contacted Senator Van Hollen around April 2017 when a housemate at
that time of about 6 months had a friend who was in no way authorized
to live in Cornerstone Montgomery housing staying overnight for most
of two months and at least this problem was ended and Pam Gueron's
harrassment stopped for a short time but Keith Ellis Bel Pre cluster
supervisor became best friends with Pam and refused to do anything.
I
believe part of the reason I was hospitalized was due to the stress
of Pam's harrassment including hitting me with her elbow when I tried
to use the microwave and blocking common access areas like the
kitchen, the day after I got out of the hospital she blockaided the
whole kitchen counterspace with very greasy pans and her very
expensive empty dishes and pans. I took photos. She complained to
Nilya, and RC about my dishes, 2 or 3 small jars soaking from yoghurt
which is all I could eat and Nilya told me to do Pam's dishes.
I
have uploaded most of my complaints to Senator Van Hollen at:
https://lydiagorbik.blogspot.com/
I
wave all privacy rights to this letter, whatever I have uploaded on
the Internet and to any information and would be grateful for help in
getting my somatic meds and for an article in the Washington Post on
Group Homes.
The
NYT, Boston Globe, and an Illinois paper have done articles on the
lack of oversight in group homes and I think the people in the DC
area need to know what their taxpaper dollars are paying for at
Cornerstone Montgomery. Some of the movement of near senior citizen
age clients to inappropriate settings is due to the closure of mental
hospitals and pressure to find housing for these poor clients.
I
am on oxygen, since Sept. 2017 was in Holy Cross Hospital for a week,
in September was forcibly evicted from my HUD home at Cornerstone
Montgomery at 12902 Valleywood Drive ostensibly because I was on
oxygen and needed a higher level of care. Though I was very ill
forced to throw all my belongings many needed for art in boxes though
was still very ill.
They asked me a number of times at Holy Cross Hospital if I had a nebulizer and cane at hl ome and I did until this forced eviction from my home at Valleywood.
Norbeck
House is for people with more serious psychiatric problems, 24/7
staff will not help me with somatic meds. only need 2 but very
important. I kept out my Nebulizer but Keith Ellis whom I have
complained to you about numerous times over the past several years
first claimed it was in the first boxes. He will not tell me where my
paintings are, though less important than nebulizer and I am running
out of albuterol. The staff here keeps promising but this morning
Alex my new RC whom I have pleaded with to help me get the strong
inhaler that Dr. Singh in the hospital prescribed and who gave me a
referral to a pulmonologist, Symbicort, ran out and have not had that
for 4 weeks or nebulizer for 3 weeks. My
therapist of 5 years, Paula Weiss, took unexpected leave for October,
then November then half of December. I think she is refusing to be a
party to misdiagnosing clients to get them into Norbeck or University
House.
The staff here rushed to make me see a replacement thereapist Andrea
Lowzowski to get a new bogus diagnosis AFTER they forced me here.
There
has been some sort of purge going on at Cornerstone for the past 6
months, many supervisors replaced by MUCH younger supervisors.
---------
Andrea
Lowzowski said that this was Cornerstone's least functioning place
and there was no place else to put me if I could not (didn't mention
mop floors, go without oxygen to go to the bathroom or kitchen or put
on portable oxygen to go to the bathroom because the long tubing from
the condensor is meant for homes or apartments, not a large facility
like this one, Andrea (Andie) said in our second meeting that they
had to do the diagnostic paperwork to get Medicaid SO THAT I WOULD
NOT BE THROWN OUT ON THE STREET.
I
cannot do the chores here very weak and could manuever to the kitchen
and bathroom much better in the one level house at Valleywood to make
food, do laundry and get to the bathroom.
It
is almost impossible to get Assisted Living but any help would be
appreciated. There is another very underweight client who I believe
needs to be in the hospital who doesn't eat and one staff member said
"That's his choice." he is past senior citizen age as are
all of the clients here save one a very angry and tall 20 something
who rushes around and I am afraid of being knocked down.
I
am too weak to wear my portable oxygen for chores or every time I go
to the bathroom, the closer bathroom has been broken for 2 weeks
though my 3 foot window fell out when staff was tring to close it for
me 2 days ago. Maintenance came this morning and I am lucky it did
not fall on my head. I took photos of the window propped against the
bureau and maintenance should have a record. I am wheezing, weak
have diareah the senior clients cannot move well enough to do an
adequate job cleaning the kithchen and bathrooms. The small sink
only drinking water is very smoky and Tony uses it to wet the mop to
clean the bathroom, Alex said he is not supposed to do that he knows
so apparently does it often. A case of bottled water was delivered
then locked up with cleaning supplies and the staff drinks arcadia
bottled water.
------
Today,
November 29th,
a male staff member brought in another huge case of bottled water
with a blue instead of yellow label around each bottle of CLEAN
water, he began drinking a bottle right away, for several days they
must have been out and staff was drinking water from home or fast
food resturant drinks. The VERY cloudy water from the only place for
clients to get drinking water, a very small sink Tony uses to wet the
mop for the men's bathroom floor is okay for clients. Is this
Mexico? Someone else has also had diareha and pounds on the door,
the second woman's bathroom toilet is clogged and the sink takes
hours to drain. If there is toilet paper it is often on the floor as
are the paper towels, no towel rack. There is a toilet paper roll
holder but rarely used. Some clients throw feces ridden toilet paper
in the trash can or bloodied toilet paper from a bad nosebleed.
-----
I
have been threatened with loss of housing if I don't fit in with
program but they will not help with somatic medication. I finally
called Dr. Polam this morning but Medicaid transportation said that
since I moved not eligible to go to Greenbelt to see my PCP but sent
her a fax for special reasons.
I
never got a chance to recover from the hospital with Pam's
over-the-top harrassment jointed by the Rcs, the first afternoon I
was home after the oxygen man left Keith Ellis started pressuring me
to start cleaning for the annual CSA inspection, then to pack for
forced move. Then to unpack trying to find my nebulizer which I had
left out and pointed out numerous times to keith and once to nicole.
Keith said I packed it which is a lie. Have not been able to find it
and my Symbicort inhaler was used up before I left Valleywood, am
forced to mop and clean at Norbeck though I constantly mention I am
on oxygen and tilt over with the portable oxygen I am feeling so
weak.
----------
When
I first came out of hospital they gave me paperwork for Dr.Polam but
Keith Ellis took it and lost it, my then RC Nicole Briscoe went with
me to see PCP but she only brought discharge papers which Dr. Polam
said were useless and to come back in two weeks with the hospital
papers. Dr. Parveen my psychiatrist must have been given the papers
because Ms. Lawzowski said I almost died in the hospiital. Last
September was the only time I have been hospitalized since I was 16
years old and had my tonsils out though I have been to er for
Bronchitis and Sphenoidal Sinusitus.
Keith
wanted me moved to a nursing home but neither Dr. Parveen or Dr.
Polam agreed though they might now seeing how ill I have gotten.
Much worse than when I left the hospital. Nicole said I was going to
meet with Dr. Klaytor, psychiatrist, but I have never seen her at
Cornerstone, I believe Dr. Miriam Parveen who has always been good to
me initially resisted signing off on this crazy move.
Many
clients are hospitalized for long periods of time and are not foreced
to move my housemate Janet Listou has been repeatedly hospitalized
for falling and for complications of stomach surgury and Melissa
Willard former housemate has sometimes spent almost half a year for
hunger strikes in hosptial.
I
could manuever much better in a house, if I had my somatic meds and
some care I don't know if I would need to be in assisted living
forever but I keep tellling staff that I will soon have to call an
ambulance to go back to hospital if I donlt get somatic meds but the
only thing they care about is notifying them BEFORE I CALL. I said
if I have to call an ambulance, I don't know if I will be strong
enough to walk to the enclosed desks with cameras for ther 24 hour
"care"
If
I do call an ambulance and go back to hospital I will probably lose
my housing and I am too ill to fight back I know that mental hospital
are closing and there is a purge of the good personnel at
Cornerstone, don't know if they are going to privatization since the
bullying roommate has a tremendous amount of money. I think they are
moving senior age clients to inappropriate housing. I am 64 years
old so Andrea was very pleased we did not have to fill out the form
for senior citizens.
Maybe
it is my time to go, my paintings and art supplies have been thrown
away and it is too small here I have less than a nursing home space.
Anything
you can do to help me again would be greatly appreciated, when I went
to vote for you as senator I picked up the endorsement from the
Washington Post focusing on how much constituent service you did
including helping some of your opponents' constituents when she would
not.
You
have helped me greatly in the past through Suzanne Loftjelm and I was
sorry she no longer works with you and that I did not send you and
her many thank you notes for help in the past.
God
Bless You.
I
am trying to follow your Twitter messages I know that Donald is
making terrible decisions for american citizens, thank you for
continuing to fight for Medicaid, Medicare and I agree we should be
doing more for Syrians, I am very concerned about persecuted
Christians in the Middle East and if I can get my somatic meds and
retain housing if I go to the hospital again, I hope to be more
active at least in writing for some of the suffering people in the
world.
The
staff is beginning to call me to sit on couch to take meds in line
though they know I have to change to portable oxygen.
---------
Richard
at Norbeck House
Richard
at Norbeck/Adrienne House, I have not seen him for 3 days. He is
very, very thin
senior
citizen age, on Thanksgiving took some turkey only and could not eat
it.
As
ususal he can't hold up his head most of the time and left the table
without eating
has
a hard time eating When I mentioned this to one of the staff members,
she said,
it
is a choice, he makes, we try to help him. I said that when you are
older and eating
it
is hard to start again and need something like fruit juice or yoghurt
for digestion.
Utter
cold-bloodedness about the death of "clients" and making
sure they don't get to that point.
Julianne
the supervisor told me 2 1/2 weeks ago when I moved in that because
other clients
have
somatic problems that the head nurse, David Bridges often stops by.
Have not seen hnim since
I
have been at Norbeck House and no one knows when he is coming.
I
was in the hospital in Sept almost died at HolyCross who treated me
very well but Nicole Briscoe
like
the staff at Norbeck House will not help me get the somatic meds I
need.
I
kept asking first Bel Pre RC Nicole Briscoe then Norbeck House RC
primary Alex to help
me
get my somatic meds. Alex said there was the weekend, then there was
thanksgiving holiday
and
today, end of November she said she called the pulmonologist and
could not give me
an
appointment until December 8. I said that is a long time to wait for
my medication and Alex
said
that was the soonest appointment she could get. During the first week
I told
Julianne
the supervisor who is never here presumably at Chadwich house of my
need
she
said after the meeting she would help me get albuterol and that the
pulmonologist
Dr.
Singh at Holy Cross Hospital recommended was too far away and she
knew another one.
I
was SUPPOSED TO SEE A PULMONOLOGIST SHORTLY AFTER I LEFT HOLY CROSS
AT
THE END OF SEPTEMBER BUT WAS BULLIED WHILE VERY ILL TO PACK FOR
UNNECESSARY
MOVE HERE WHERE I GET NO SOMATIC HELP AND AM PRESSURED
INTO
CHORES AND NOW COOKING WHEN MY PORTABLE OXYGEN IS TOO HEAVY TO
WORK
IN OR EVEN GET TO THE KITCHEN, DINING ROOM WHICH IS FAR AWAY.
I
had to tear through instead of unpacking the few boxes Keith Ellis
brought, Alex helped me go
through to try to find my nebulizer. It was not in the boxes Keith
insisted they were in Alex
has been of very limited help in trying to find places for my things
I share a room but Edna
left because she was transferred.
It
is Cornerstone policy that staff may never touch a client even if
they have fallen or are about to fall.
And
no matter the age or disability constant pressure to perform and
clean which has led to at least one death when
the Joint Commission came in August 2017, I was pressured by Keith
Ellis to work for hours after scrubbing and cleaning house to
get corrosion off a handbar with Tilex despite respiratory problems,
I first began to get very ill, unable to eat at this time and was
told a male client in Bel Pre housing had died around the time of
this inspection.
Many
of the senior citizens have arthritis some severe dyskenisia and have
trouble with chores or even getting food to mouth.
Richard
is one of those and has been absent from dinner 5 days, for a while
only had crackers in his cupbord, never leaves his
room
now, they say he is okay, yesterday first time I saw him in 4 days
and he only ate 2 small cups of applesauce his cupbord had more
food since I had been expressing great concern about his thinness and
he seems to be unable to hold up his head to the point
now that his head touched his plate at thanksgiving, he only accepted
a little meat did not eat that and left. He looks like he
should be in the hospital on an IV. I used to see Richard on and off
for several years at Southport looking for cigarette butt sa d he had
some trouble sitting, only kneels on ground and trouble keeping his
head up, he does not seem to have a dowegers hump at all he
is obviously much sicker now.
His
fingernails are very, very long and so dirty they look black, he
never seems to change his clothes, maybe he does not have a change of
clothes and they have many stains. Richard has trouble getting food
to his mouth and there are sometimes globs of yoghurt on the table.
Cornerstone employees are forbidden to touch clients even if they
have fallen, this rule is inappropriate for the aging population at
Cornerstone.
When
I left the hosptial it is the only time I saw David Bridges the head
nurse, he spoke with me and two roommates and said he would call Holy
Cross to send the paperwork that the hospital wanted Dr. Polam to
have and which Keith Ellis and Nicole Briscoe took from me and lost.
David
Bridges recommended that I move here, he did not return my calls.
Jullianne said before I moved that David Bridges often came hereb ecause
there were other clients with somatic problems. I have not seen him
in 3 weeks and staff says there is no set time when he comes and
yesterday an RC said Mr. Bridges was on vacation. I am supposed to
see a nurse Yvonne whom I have never met after I meet wit
my
psychiatrist Dr. Parveen but she is always absent. From before my
forced eviction from Bel Pre managed HUD house at 12902 Valleywood,
to Keith
ellis moving SOME of my belongings, He stated again and again that
David Bridges would be talking to me about Assisted Living, this
promise started
at the end of September it is almost December and it doesn't look
like this promise will ever be fulfilled.
Perishable
foods must be locked up due to theft very short window to get soft
foods when you are not feeling well like yoghurt and fruit juice and
ensure, personal cupboard you can lock yourself is very, very small.
Impossible to cook while on oxygen and hard to be off oxygen long
enough to cook.
The
independence rule prevents staff from helping. There is space for 6
clients, 3 men, 3 women with an enclosed space of one to two staff
members watching
the
cameras 24/7. Mostly like to talk to each other almost no
interaction with clients. Blank looks when try to speak of how weak I
am and that I AM ON OXYGEN and needed my somatic meds WEEKS AGO.
Constant
runaround about my somatic meds and the whereabouts of my many
paintings, art supplies and desk and chair and lamp so that I could
work on my art IF I do get better considering this "treatment"
not likely.
No comments:
Post a Comment