TEXAS, USA — Concerns of care in nursing facilities have been brought to the forefront after a Central Texas nurse was arrested and charged for stealing medicine from a patient.
Ashley Kay Bidwell was arrested a week ago after overdosing on morphine and admitting to stealing it from her employer, Lutheran Ministries Sunset Home in Clifton, Texas.
6 News learned the registered nurse had a history of theft convictions, but the Texas Board of Nursing ruled those weren't enough to revoke her license.
"We have serious quality of care problems in our nursing homes," said Amanda Fredriksen, the associate state director for advocacy with AARP Texas wasn't too surprised to hear about the latest incident at a Clifton nursing facility. "The issue of of abuse and neglect in nursing facilities in Texas is not as uncommon as it should be."
Fredriksen says people need to know some simple things they can do to make sure no one becomes a victim to abuse or neglect.
"We also always encourage people to go to the medicare nursing home compare website where there is detailed information about the facilities, how they perform on annual surveys, whether or not they have a high rate of inappropriate use of anti-psychotics, what their staffing levels are," Fredriksen explained.
The facility in Clifton where a nurse stole morphine from a patient suffering had a four star rating out of five.
So, even if there is no red flag there you should call Texas' Office of the Ombudsman.
"Part of our role is to prevent abuse and neglect by making sure residents know how to protect themselves, the family members who they're involved with and making sure the lines of communication are good at the facility," said Patty Ducayet the state’s long-term care ombudsman, a specially trained and certified volunteer who advocates for nursing home residents.
She says you should visit your loved one often once they're in the facility and also get to know people who are part of the community.
Ducayet also says you should ask question lots of questions.
"We want to encourage people who are visiting to look for a change in behavior by the resident," she said. "Do they seem like they're acting differently, in particular, maybe scared or reluctant to talk to you or tell you about their day or their care?"
She says a lot of people are adding cameras to nursing rooms as a deterrent, but also to have as evidence.
"A lot of people are using some kind of an electronic device in the residence room to monitor care and that can be a pretty powerful tool to avoid or detect abuse," Ducayet added.
Both Ducayet and Fredriksen want people to know their options and the resources available to them before making the tough decision.
"It's a big deal to make this decision to move in to a facility where you're giving up control and counting on other people to take care of your loved one," Ducayet said.
"These are the most vulnerable of our residents and you know, many of them, like the person in this situation can't speak for themselves, they can't advocate for themselves and it's just not right," Fredriksen said.
You can report issues with long term care facilities to Texas Health and Human Services by calling 1-800-458-9858. If it's an emergency, you should always call 911.
Here are some other resources for you to make sure your loved ones are getting the proper care:
- AARP Resources for Nursing Home Residents and Families: www.aarp.org/caregiving
- AARP story on Choosing the right long-term care facility: https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/basics/info-2021/choosing-long-term-care-facility.html
- Texas LTC ombudsman: 1-800-252-2412
- Texas Health and Human Services Complaint Line: 1-800-458-9858
- A guide to choosing a nursing home
- Alternatives to nursing facilities