Source: http://www.toddlertime.com/advocacy/hospitals/ingleside.htm
Timestamp: 2015-09-04 03:44:32
Document Index: 373741631

Matched Legal Cases: ['§4900', '§1250', '§5326', '§5500', '§5510', '§5520', '§5522', '§5530', '§5540', '§5541', '§5542', '§5550', '§5008', '§43', '§71515', '§71515', '§71515', '§71521', '§1810', '§5325', '§71515', '§5008', '§5325', '§5332', '§5525', '§5326', '§43', '§1180', '§1184', '§71505', '§73080', '§73012', '§71005', '§71055', '§5170', '§5325', '§5325']

Invest in Your Mind. Abuse At Ingleside Campus Hospital
Abuse At Ingleside Campus Hospital
Corona, CA 92882 January 4, 2005
Patients Rights for Los Angels County
Attn: Director, Carol Matthews & Supervisor, Mona Sparks
Dear Carol and Mona,
This letter is follow-up per my conversations with you today, and with Stacy and Larry while inpatient at Ingleside Campus Hospital between 11/28/04 to 11/30/04. This letter is not a grievance but a complaint per W&I: §4900 (c). This hospital as defined by Health and Safety Code: §1250 is in non-compliance and operating with numerous patients’ rights violations along with other violations of other ordinances. I am also requesting the Director of Mental Health for LA to issue violations of findings per W&I: §5326.9(a). All information of the events were charted on the original grievances forms at the hospital and copied onto this letter. I recall in our conversations that you are working with the hospital nursing director, John Zimmerman and relying on him to do the administrative investigation. I strongly object to this because as you recall, and I have restated this within the compliant, I stipulate that he is a liar and appears to play both sides of the fence to appease patients’ rights while protecting his hospital. W&I code §5500(a), §5510(6(2)), §5520, §5522, §5530, §5540, §5541, §5542, §5550 allows your office to conduct this investigation personally without having to rely on John Zimmerman’s findings, which I believe, he will adjust to protect the hospital. Quiet Time – As you recall, staff is arbitrarily turning off the phones during “Quiet Time.” The hospital is claming Quiet Time as part of the program; same as a therapeutic group would be part of the program. The difference is, a therapeutic group has a program facilitator to move the group along. And, during Quiet Time, the only thing that is getting moved along is the patients into a mandatory type of seclusion, into their rooms. Staff is using this Quiet Time as their lunch hour and supper hour to rid themselves of the patients. And, staff is very protective of their Quiet-Time/Lunch & Supper-Hour by scolding patients when they leave their rooms and walk in on them when they are eating their lunch. This “Quiet Time” must be abolished because it invites staff (new staffers/fading memories) to assume that it is mandatory for all patients to be in their rooms. It is a no-brainer that patents can go to their rooms at anytime without staff needing to ‘remind’ them. For staff to say, “Quiet Time, go to your rooms!” comes of as mandatory, and vulnerable patients are afraid to create a rift. Also, I recall that you indicated that you have had no complaints about “Quiet Time.” This is not surprising. Remember, we are dealing with a population that many of them do not want to be locked up. And, many times patients’ complaints and grievances are invalidated when investigated and most surrender themselves into the system in hopelessness. These patients have been told what to do for a long time, and suffered the consequences when that they haven’t obeyed staff. Not only that, most all of these patients are not educated in the laws and regulations and assume it must be the law, and they should blindly obey staff or get seclusion/restraints/medicated, as they have in the past. Also, I did speak with five patients and asked them what they thought about having to go into “Quiet Time” twice a day. One indicated it was okay and the other four basically “hated it.” As you might recall, John Zimmerman wants to keep “Quiet Time” but will remind staff that this is voluntary. I again, object to this for the reasons stated in this complaint, and this voluntary would be short lived at best. Also, I was illegally restrained on my bed when staff hands held me down to inject me with Haldol for sitting in the Dayroom. (I am allergic to Haldol.) I was also illegally coarsest and under duress to take medication under the immediate threat of getting an injection of Haldol. The major infractions are: Staff is body-slamming patients – using deadly and excessive force. Drugging patients for convenience of staff or as punitive measures. Threatening patients with seclusion/restraints/medication when the criterion is clearly not met. W&I: §5008 (m) Possibly mixing up patient medical charts. Failure to post large Patients Rights Regulations by the phones (hidden). Failure to turn on phones during visiting time when no groups are in session. Failure to post in chart, or have a mechanism to log medication that a patient is allergic to (via summary sheet in transport or on intake). Refusal to double-check if a patient is allergic medication (Haldol) when the patient is asking for intervention from forced drugging.
Mandatory Quiet Time / Voluntary Quiet time – under duress. Staff lack of respect and dignity to patients. Social worker – Failure to voluntary give patients’ discharge papers with the required diagnosis, prognosis, medications, and comments. Denial of rights when criteria are not met. Issuing standing orders for denial of rights instead of issuing an order for behavior criteria and periodic review to restore rights denied. Violation of right to be free from harm, and in a therapeutic environment that promotes wellness.
Civil Code §43 Failure to give patient advisement during intake – reason for hospitalization. Title 22 §71515 Failure to give patient an advisement in a modality in which the patient could read the advisement (very bad hand writing – staffers also could not read it.) Title 22 §71515 No wrist band was attached to me for patient identification
Title 22 §71515 (g) Several staff not wearing name tags or they are covered up. Had to ask for names
Title 22: §71521 (d) Corrective Action Requested
Corrective Action must address revision of documented policy, testing, frequent training (Health and Safety Code – 1276.4(d)(f)), and accountability to prevent staff non-compliance and patient emotional and physical injury, patient assessment by trained RN, and other measurable objectives in the following:
Address all 18 items above and all items in this complaint for corrective action.
Respond to each complaint and action taken to assure the violations will not reoccur.
Patients’ Rights role (the exact steps) in monitoring this hospital for compliance in the future.
Examine all current policies in place concerning use of restraints/involuntary medication and request necessary revisions to prevent staff non-compliance and patient emotional and physical injury.
Bi-weekly – Frequent in-service training addressing the current statues and regulations provided by law.
Develop a study packet and quiz for staff, and retest all staff periodically (written and oral) to insure quality compliance, and track score results though the quality department.
Develop a concrete plan with measurable objectives that address, at a minimum, the complaints in this letter, and a mechanism in which to measure continual quality improvement.
You have my complete cooperation to help resolve this problem within the Ingleside Campus Hospital. Once you have investigated and negotiated a framework for Corrective Action, please advance the results to my desk for consideration. Please respond by February 1, 2005 because this issue and corrective action is very important to protect patients in a vulnerable setting.
I am also sending a CC to Riverside County Mental Health Department Management and Riverside County Hospital Management due to the risk/liability of sending beneficiaries/clients to this hospital until corrective action is carried out to satifisation. Thank you in advance,
Kathi's Mental Health Review http://www.toddlertime.com Far South Director for California Network of Mental Health ClientsRiverside Quality Improvement Committee (QIC) §1810.440 Participant Riverside County Western Regional Board Member
http://www.californiaclients.org CC:
Donna Dahl – Program Chief of the Riverside MHP
Theresa Galvez – Chief of Riverside Patients Rights
Riverside ETS management personal – Deborah Johnson, Anna Fuzie COMPLAINTS While Inpatient Ingleside Campus Hospital
Written 11/28/04 to 11/30/04
12/28/04 Time 2:00 PM. Patient Chart/Name Mixup
During intake, The only chart I noticed on the intake table had a name “Katrinia” affixed to it. It looked like the chart was meant for me. I asked who the chart was for, and Joseph said it was my chart. I was concerned since I am not Katrinia and reasonably suspected there was a mix-up between me and another patient named Katrinia. I said, “That is not my chart, I am not Katrinia. My name is Kathi.” Joseph enquired if I ever went by any other name, or nickname. I said,
“No, I’ve never heard of that name before.” Joseph said, “Well, that is your name and it will be the name we call you. If you prefer us to call you by another name, we can do that.” I was stunned from his patronizing comment I answered, “No, I don’t have nick name or other name. My legal name is Kathi Ann Stringer, and that is the same name on my Medicare Card.” Joseph patronized me again and said, “That is no problem, we can call you “Kathi” if you prefer, now this discussion is over concerning your name.” I indicated to Joseph that didn’t feel comfortable answering any more questions until I was satisfied that the chart was mine or someone else’s. However, in a rapid sequence of interruptions, Joseph provided little chance for me to express my self. (Joseph later told me that reason he doesn’t give any patients a chance to express themselves is because it is a tactic he uses to “keep patients focused and on track.”) Authority cited: W&I §5325.1
Title 22: §71515 (g)
12/28/04 Time 2:05 PM.
Consequences for Entering Dayroom During “Quiet Time.” Seclusion & Restraints
During intake, staffer Joseph explained the “Program Orientation.” I was told that I was to stay in my room for one hour – “Quiet Time” every day from 1PM to 2PM. I indicated that was a form of Seclusion. He indicated that it wasn’t, because the Dayroom is NOT part of the program. He went on to say that if I must leave my room, I could stand in my doorway or hallway, but anywhere else was strictly off limits during Quiet Time. I indicated that was a form of Seclusion to restrict a person into a specified area that was part of the normal program. I attempted to convey that the Dayroom also houses the Nurses Station. Joseph repeated the ‘house rules/policy’ and I was not to leave my room during Quiet Time. I said that,
“This is a form of seclusion and patients cannot be put into seclusion unless there is a sudden marked change in behavior, and imminent risk of serious bodily injury to myself, others, to destruction to community property.” I continued, “If I were to go into the dayroom during this “Quiet Hour,” would I put into Seclusion and Restraints?” Joseph said “Yes, if you were to go into the Dayroom during “Quiet Time.” I indicated that I wanted to file a complaint with Patients’ Right’s because this was not legal. Joseph responded,
“Are you being threatening now? Keep saying things like that and I will make a call to the psychiatrist and have you medicated.” Authority cited: W&I: §5008(m); §5325.1(a),(b),(c),(h); §5332(e); §5525.2; §5326.5(b)
Civil Code: §43 Health and Safety Code: §1180.1 (a),(c),(d),(e); §1184.4(k)
Title 22: §71505, §73080, §73012.2, §71005, §71055
12/28/04 Time 2:10 PM.
Refused Assistance to Make Call to Family on Arrival.
At the end of intake, Joseph and a female staffer asked if I wanted someone notified that I was in their hospital. I answered, yes, Cristina Cabrera and I gave them her phone number. A few minutes later a female staffer returned and said their phone won’t allow them to dial out the number without dialing “1”. I said it was only to Corona. Staff said it should work but said I would have to ask my Social Worker the next day because they would not make the call for me if long distance. I said they shouldn’t accept ANY transfers from other hospitals if not willing to follow regulations and the courtesy of notifying my family of my whereabouts. Staff refused to make the call. Authority cited: W&I: §5170.5 12/28/04 Time 2:20 PM.
Patients Rights Not Posted per Regulations
After intake, I was trying to call Patient’s Rights. However, the phones were turned off for “Quiet Time.” In the meantime I was looking for the Patient’s Rights poster for a list of Patients Rights with the local and state capital numbers. I couldn’t see anything in plain view of the phones except a tiny 8x10 frame screwed to the wall with red paper and black ink in small font (ever tried to read red on black?). Half the information was in English and the other half in Spanish. It was so small; I could not read any of the information except the Patients Rights Number, which was so blurry I had to ask another patient for help. This is of concern since many patients are heavily medicated, and cannot read the letters/font, except as an annoying blur. Authority cited: W&I §5325
12/28/04 Time 3:30 PM.
Patients Rights Handbook Not Given & Refused
I remembered that even though I could not read the 8x10 posted ‘patients rights’ (red paper/small black font) I should have a Patients’ Right’s Handbook. I checked all the papers that were given to me. I found only these items (1) Program Orientation, (2) Pain Management, (3) Advanced Directive, (4) Patient Responsibilities and, (5) Inpatient Admitting Terms, BUT no Patient Handbook. When I notified the nursing station, the staffers just looked at me and ignored what I said. When I asked again, a staffer closed the upper half of the nursing window to cut me off from the nursing station. Later that day, I did not get a Patient Handbook when Joseph overheard me making a complaint to Patients Rights on the telephone, and he gave me one. When Joseph gave the handbook to me he said,
“All you had to do was ask for one.”
Reference cited: W&I §5325(i)