Can a nursing home throw my Dad out when I can't take care of him?

[SuzanneL]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Georgia

My Dad has Huntington's Disease. He hit another resident on Saturday and the nursing home called me to come get him and said they would try to straighten everything out on Monday. (yesterday) They called the police and made a report and the police didn't arrest him because of his physical and mental condition. I called the nursing home yesterday and they said Dad couldn't come back. I had to go get his medications and his personal belongings. He can't stay at my house. He has been staying with my brother at night, who also has Huntingtons Disease and sitting at my business during the day. I have been calling anyone I can get ahold of and asking for help. They either haven't called back or say they can't help us. I have extreme anxiety and can't cope. I understand why he can't stay at thier nursing home but can they just throw him out without a facility to go to? I don't know what to do to help him or us.

SuzanneL

 

[CourtClerk]

So you think that the nursing home should endanger the welfare of its other residents because you can't place your father anywhere else? What do you think the civil liability will be the next time your father hits someone and seriously injures them?

Let's work this backward. Say it was someone else who was going around hitting the other residents. They decided to let that person stay because their family didn't have anywhere else to put them. A week later, that person hauls off, hits your father and gives him a concusion or worse. Would be then be on here asking how much you could sue them for because they KNEW he was dangerous, had a history of hitting people and they did nothing to IMMEDIATELY stop the threat?

 

[SuzanneL]

You are right and I understand why they did it. For the safety of the other residents. I just didn't know that they could discharge him with nowhere to go when he needs nursing care. Thank you for your replies.

Suzanne

 

[ecmst12]

There are other nursing homes. There is social services. You need a facility that can provide more individual care then that one. A social worker can help you find the right placement for him.

 

[SuzanneL]

Thank you. I am trying to find one.

Suzanne

 

[Gail in Georgia]

Contact the social worker at your fathers previous nursing home. They are an excellent source for providing you information on other nursing homes in the area.

It is often difficult to find a nursing home that will take a violent, demented patient as they present a safety risk to themselves and other patients. Nursing homes tend to avoid patients that need to be restrained.

Gail

 

[ariastar]

This sounds like a private facility. Yes, they can kick him out. They are under no obligation to keep him without payment. They are under no obligation to let their other residents and nurses and aids be endangered. They are under no obligation to accept any payment you try to make. This is a private facility, and he has essentially been evicted for hitting people.

Gail already gave you a great suggestion, to speak to a social worker, and she's also right that nursing facilities are hesitant to take violent residents. You don't even want to hear the stories from my mom's 20+ years as a geriatrics nurse and my half dozen years of volunteering in the homes. The safety of the many will outweigh the care of one.

 

[SuzanneL]

Thank you all for your advice. After many phone calls and many non returned call, I did finally get a call back from a great organization called A Place For Mom. They help you find a place for a loved one and they have been very helpful and supportive. Dad is now at a hospital for the mentally impaired getting his medications evaluated. He will be there a couple weeks and is doing well. A Place for Mom found me a list of places to check and I found one that takes care of dimensia patients and after I get a few things taken care of, they said they will take him. Its only a little over an hour from me so I can still spend time with him. His past nursing home recommended calling a certain social worker who never returned my calls. I was astounded by the many people that I called that never returned my desperate call for help. Thank God for the receptionist that pointed me in the right direction. I appreciate all of you that took the time to post. Now that I am a member of this forum, I will take the time to read other peoples questions and hope that I can help them.

Suzanne