The department of health had found that deficient practices at William F. Green State Veterans Home “resulted in a fatal outcome” to the residents, but yesterday’s updated report (Oct. 26, 2007) said the failures caused a “significant change in status” for the men.  When they say failures, do they mean “deaths?”

The significant change in status also resulted in death for both men.  Why were families not notified or why were the men “not moved” to a hospital where they could be evaluated by medical professionals to discover what caused the “significant change in status” for the men?  At least their families could have been with them.

According to Dr. Geary, based on the investigation, he believes that on or about April 26 my grandfather had a fall which caused a slow leak to his aneurysm, causing his death on May 3.  He stated that this could have been caught had the nursing facility taken some action to get him care.  However, our family was never notified of the fall and after witnessing bruises on his body, the facility administration and nursing staff lied about what had happened, telling my aunt and my mother that he had not fallen.  Whether this could have been treated at that time or not, he could have been made more comfortable, he could have been examined, and most importantly, over the almost 7 day period between the April 26 fall and his second fall and death on May 3, his family could have been with him – his children, his grandchildren and his wife of 60 years.

We would like some explanation as to how the state of Alabama felt that the fall(s) caused his death as of Friday, November 12, 2007 and then changed its report to delete this information as of press time yesterday.
Ashley Myrick