Adult Family Abuse without consequences

Open letter to 

The Department of Social and Health Services

20475 72nd Avenue S

Suite 400

Kent, WA 98032

Dear Sir/Madam

As a former Healthcare employee and worked for 10 years and during the course of early 2019 between April and May.  I worked at Kelsey Creek for one (1) nonth.

I am writing concerning a complaint that I filed concerning Kelsey Creek Adult Family Home and certain issues which are of grave concern putting the lives of citizens at risk.  According to the Department of Health caregivers are mandatory reporters and should report any incidences of abuse or any situation which endangers the lives of those adults who are considered vulnerable be it past or present abuse. In as much as the privacy of adults should be respected and therefore, I chose not to engage in recording the situation for fear of violating their rights.

While there I observed the owner/provider and his wife - Adrien and Cecilia(respectively) engaging in practices which I reported, and the Department of Health has no interest in investigating as all the friends are engaging.

1.  Residents at Kelsey Creek were being fed leftovers from each other's plates.  After the meal is over all the plates are taken to the kitchen and scraped in one plate or bowl and placed in the refrigerator following which it is taken upstairs where the provider uses the scraps for SOUP.

The residents are fed leftovers from their church gatherings upstairs.  There are certain Sundays that there are church gatherings where members come to the house upstairs in the family residence as well as family members and friends of their children.  The leftovers are taken downstairs to feed the residents of the Adult Family Home. 

Cecilia told me - the burrito - chicken that her daughter did not like after she purchased it she took a bite from it and placed it upstairs in their refrigerator. Cecilia cut the end of the burrito and fed it to the residents on their plates.

2.  Residents were left on their own during the nights.  Intercom in the rooms are on and the provider listens for falls.

3.  Resident - Thelma- this resident is place to sleep on the floor no one checks on her.  The residents are taken care of only when family visits.  In the case of Thelma her earrings are put on not daily as the family told them but when the family visits.  The doors are locked and through their camera they will know when someone is at the door to straighten up and care for the resident and then let the visitor in.

Their (the adult family home providers) concern is for the rest of the family to come live at the home.

4.  There was an incident which happened during the period in which I was there and the incident was most likely falsified.  From day one when I began working with them, I got nervous when I saw resident MS. L. being left on the toilet alone for an hour. I told both Cecilia and her husband Adrien - the told me it is fine. The day of the incident involving the resident - the resident was taken out to have a shower and l wanted to remain in the bathroom to assist as the resident was not mobile - was in a wheelchair - Cecilia told me no - I left hesitantly, she left MS. L. unattended on a shower bench in the bathroom and I heard the thump.  I went to look the resident had fallen on the tiled floor head first - I asked to call 911 seeing that the resident fell head first and was bleeding Cecilia did not want to call 911(emergency) she opted to call her husband as he knows what to do.  I proceeded to go to the kitchen to get an icepack.  I looked at the resident and saw that she needed medical attention - it was almost like I had to persuade them to call for help - I checked from the time of the incident to the time help was called it took at least 15 minutes. The resident was taken to OVERLAKE Hospital.   I asked and was told that the resident received stitches on the inside of the wound.

5.  The provider had the husband-and-wife Donald J. and his wife D..  The family was paying full price for a private bedroom with a 1/2 bathroom(only toilet and sink)  and an additional room they used as a day room with the bathroom.  The family was told that these were only for them while this was untrue - the same bathroom that MS L. fell was being paid for by another resident as the private bathroom.  Cecilia told me she did not want the family to know that it was being used by all the residents.

The residents right to privacy - this was constantly being violated.  The residents' families whilst visiting  their families in the rooms were listened to.  The intercom is on whilst the providers are upstairs listening to the conversations.  The families' rights have been violated.

6.  The residents' hands were not being washed.  Priority is given to getting them to the table for breakfast and meals.  

7.  Residents on Saturday nights are taken to bed at 5:30pm to facilitate the provider and family choir practice meetings and Sundays the same to attend night service.

8.  The residents' families are asked not to attend mealtime.  No visits at mealtime.

9.  The glove boxes in the rooms are always EMPTY with two pairs and ONE pulled out.  It appears that there are gloves in the box, but it is empty.  I was asked as a caregiver to use the same glove for all the residents. I resorted to purchasing my own gloves and using my own gloves.

I reported this and to no avail.  The Department of Health is doing nothing whilst asking people to be ethical and report abuse.

The Department does not respond when comes to abuse it is a clear indication of the level of abuse which is going on that the United States is accusing the rest of the world of.  I can say this because I know what I am talking about.  

I hope at some point the GREAT United States will be able to forgive itself for not taking care of their elderly.

The Department of Health refused to look after the vulnerable. Why?

Hoping they will respond, and it will not be way too late for America.