When I owned and operated a comparable community care home in Vermont for some years, such misbehavior by anyone on our staff would have been unthinkable. Had any nurse on my staff behaved in this callous and cruel manner, I would have sought the termination of that person's nursing license. Glenwood Gardens director Toomer later stated that his facility was an "independent living community" which did not provide medical care. Apparently, Glenwood Gardens also does not provide common decency, or even common humanity, so that the facility is actually an "independent dying community." Further, the parent website for this operation refers to "assisted living facilities" -- a higher level of care is needed and required than for independent living.
But then, the inhumane so-called policy at Glenwood Gardens is consistent with the one-star (lowest) rating of its parent corporation, Brookdale Senior Living based in Brentwood, Tennessee, the nation's largest purveyor of senior facilities. A typical comment on websites which rate such operations is that they would get an even lower rating if one were possible. Here is one typical review of a Brookdale facility, from Glassdoor.com:
Memory care unit managers and associates were outside smoking every hour for 20 minutes. Leaving only one care provider many times working with 27 end stage residents. Documented and reported daily episodes of neglect and abuse to Director and was bullied by Director for reporting. Ended up having to report neglect and abuse to HR and things started to be watched. Residents were denied food and fluids everyday and it made me sick to watch residents be treated so poorly.
It is actually not surprising that Brookdale Senior Living gets such poor ratings; its CEO, Andrew Smith, is -- would you believe -- an attorney with little if any medical background. The other key executives are not much better. Ironically, the co-called CORNERSTONES of Brookdale's essential policies include these statements: "Take ownership and pride in everything we do. Put the resident first, and the bottom line will take care of itself. Have fun and celebrate life every day." Dr. Kevin O'Neil, Brookdale's Medical Director, is quoted on their webite: "Our people make the difference." They sure do that, Dr. O'Neil -- they violate the trust of your residents, and let them die without even trying to save them.
The proper remedy for such profound misconduct would be a charge of negligent homicide against everyone involved in this blatant neglect, which rises to the level of elder abuse -- including those at the corporate level who established such atrocious policies, not only at Glenwood Gardens but undoubtedly at their other comparable facilities as well. Should the staff involved in formulating and enforcing these policies, such as Glenwood's Director Toomer, lose their jobs as a result of the thorough investigation which is supposedly now taking place, there are some openings for concentration camp staff in North Korea for which they might consider applying. A position of that sort would seem to be much better suited for them -- if they manage to avoid going to prison for the negligent homicide of Lorraine Bayless.
