Can a person be forced against their will to stay in a nursing home?
Alma and Ben took a short trip from their home in Visalia, California to see Ben's family in southern California and were told that Ben and Alma would be moving to Kansas so that Alma could be closer to her daughter. Ben was told he'd be living with his wife and her family. They were excited about beginning a new life near Alma's family. All seemed fine.
A week later, Ben and Alma arrived in Kansas, but instead of being taken to his wife's family's house, Ben was taken to a nursing home called Villa St. Francis against his will! Before he knew it, he was trapped there.
A day or so later, Ben called his nephew and asked if he could come and get him out of the place since he described conditions that were "more than horrible."
The nephew promptly went to Kansas City, but when Ben and and Dan's cousin tried to leave, the police were called. Apparently, a doctor has put in writing that Ben is incompetent!
Ben is being held as a prisoner at Villa St. Francis and against his will and against the wishes of his family!
Dan and his family just saw Ben, and Ben is certainly not incompetent. He's 87 years old, and fine. There has been some instances of short term memory loss, but nothing to justify the incompetent declaration! Also, apparently Ben uses a walker to help him walk and is not able to drive.
It seems that Villa St. Francis Nursing Home in Kansas is holding 87 year old Ben Farris against his will!
In addition, Ben is now not allowed to receive calls or visits from his family (except from his wife Alma Farris and his step-daughter Susan).
Ben is totally isolated and has been left alone. He says there is nothing to do except watch TV and eat meals at this place and is very bored.
The whole thing is horrible and it is hard to believe his wife allowed this to happen!
It seems to be that Ben was tricked by his own wife Alma Farris and his wife's family!
I have heard his wife and step daughters's family are now trying to sell Ben's house and take all his money away from him too.
A lawyer has been hired, but apparently the lawyer has been not been able to do much. While Ben rots there in a place that is like a prison, he could die!
I've seen what goes on in some nursing homes, and the conditions are sometimes worse than what existed in work houses in England.
My husband's family wants their uncle out of this place soon.
2 comments:
Life is unfair. I saw Ben a couple of weeks ago and he seemed well and in his right mind. But he has been certified with severe dementia, so he cannot leave the facility now, nor get calls or visits from other than his immediate family. His sister and other relatives were not informed of these plans until recently, but the plan to put him in the Villas started a year ago.
He has problems remembering things from day to day, but he is still a conscious, living, thinking person who is bored out of his skull. There does not appear to be much that we can do to change this situation. I hope he is regularly visited by his wife and others permitted to do so. He deserves that, at least.
Update....my husband's uncle was allowed to be visited by his niece this past week at the Villa St. Francis Nursing Home in Kansas City, Kansas. My brother-in-law said they were told it was against the law to not allow him to have visits or calls from relatives. I did some research on that facility though and apparently the Dept of Health has fined the place numerous times (thousands of dollars!) for unsafe practices and conditions! He still is not allowed to leave the place, but was allowed to go out to breakfast with his niece (even though the police came to the diner to make sure he was not taken away). It is still horrible to think he was forced and tricked by his wife and her daughter to stay there and he can't leave if he wants!
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