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May 16, 2012

Jackson Holahan: The Aleppo Codex
Jonathan Tobin : Iran Declares Victory in Nuclear Talks
Anne Kates Smith: 7 Stocks That Let You Sleep Tight
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Dennis Prager: God and Man at (and for) Liberty
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
Environmental Nutrition Editors: Get the facts on palm sugar sweetening
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Richard Simon: Purple Hearts for domestic terror victims?
Nando Pelusi, Ph.D.: The privacy paradox: Surrounded by strangers, we risk isolation, anxiety
Chris Farrell: Investing Lessons from the Great Recession
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
Tiffany O'Callaghan: New hormone mimics effects of exercise without the sweat
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Rabbi B. Shafier: Why happiness will always be elusive
Charles Krauthammer: Echoes of '67: Israel unites
Howard LaFranchi: With G8 snub, US-Putin 'reset' off to stumbling start
Jeremy J. Siegel: Investors, Relax About Rising Interest Rates
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Clifford D. May: The Real Palestinian Refugee Problem
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Harvard Health Letters: Palliative care: Underused therapy yields surprising benefits
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
Rachel L. Sheedy and Susan B. Garland : Make the Right Moves to Boost Benefits
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
John Rosemond: Parents, stop destroying the American male
Valerie J. Nelson: Maurice Sendak, author of 'Where the Wild Things Are,' dies at 83
Bob Frick: Angst Over Annuities
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
Howard LeWine, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Why did my blood pressure suddenly shoot up?
Lisa Gerstner: Lower the Rate on All Your Loans
The Kosher Gourmet by Emily Ho : Springtime soba with miso sauce offers a coloful mix of fresh textures and flavors
May 8, 2012
Edmund Sanders: Netanyahu suddenly cancels new elections, forms unity government
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: Farewell to European superstate
Anne Kates Smith: 4 Stocks That Mimic Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway
Gaia Vince and Clare Wilson The Rise of Miniature Medical Robots: Fantasy Fast Becoming Reality
Paul Takahashi, M.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Never suffer night leg cramps
Jessica L. Anderson: Extended-Warranty Warning
The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Celebrate National Chocolate Chip Day with the Best Cookie Ever (Includes techniques)
May 7, 2012
Mark Clayton: Homeland Security warns major cyber attack aimed at gas pipeline industry underway
Angus Roxburgh: Putin Decoded: World view of a Russian feeling dissed
Kimberly Lankford: Navigate a Course for Long-Term Care
Kevin McCormally How to Adjust Your Tax Withholding
Celeste Robb-Nicholson, M.D.: Harvard Health Letters: How do you treat a Baker's cyst?
Joanne Capano: Healthy Snacks for Children: The Choices May Surprise You
The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: Classic Creamy Spinach Dip with a Fraction of the Calories and Fat
May 4, 2012
Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Holy 'trivialities'
Jonathan Tobin: Bibi v. Barak will be no contest this time around
Steven Goldberg: Blue Chip Stocks On Sale Worldwide
Art Pine Slow Productivity Growth a Blessing --- For Now
Sue Hubbard, M.D. : The Kid's Doctor: Are Kids Too Wired?
Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D: Foods that are good for your smile
Amy Paturel, M.S., M.P.H.: Eating Well: Foods that are good for your smile
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Strawberry rhubarb parfaits are elegant yet simple to assemble
May 3, 2012
Michael Freund: Who's Afraid of the Messiah?
Clifford D. May: The Foggiest War
Susan B. Garland: Insurance to Cover Old Old Age
Steven Goldberg 6 Reasons to Bet on a Big Bull Market
Harvard Health Letters: Treating prostate cancer --- no rush to judgment
Larry Gordon: Harvard, MIT partner to offer free online courses
Naomi Nix : Man gets free trip to Chicago after postcard sent by mother in 1957 finally reaches him
The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Intensely Italian vegetable frittata is a seriously simple standby
May 2, 2012
Daniel Pipes and Steve Emerson : Chris Christie's Islam Problem
Richard Z. Chesnoff: A Nazi collaborator at the Met
Thomas M. Anderson: The Best 529 College-Savings Plans
Harvard Special Report: Fatigue is a symptom of numerous illnesses
Amy Paturel, M.S., M.P.H.: What to eat for a healthy heart and mind


Jewish World Review January 28, 2008 /21 Shevat 5768

Nursing-home resident sees far too much

By Jan L. Warner & Jan Collins


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Q: My 87-year old mother has been a nursing-home resident since she fractured her hip last year. Because she was unable to benefit from rehabilitation, Medicare stopped paying for her care, and she was moved into another room, where she receives skilled care, but she now has a 77-year-old female roommate with an obvious memory disorder. Their beds are no more than 4 feet apart, and only a curtain allows them to have any type of privacy.


Mom has complained that her roommate is on the phone at all hours of the day and night talking to her husband, which keeps Mom awake. We finally met her husband last Sunday during visiting hours. He appeared to be quite a bit younger than his wife and appeared to be drinking. He seemed jovial, but not 10 minutes after he arrived, he pulled the curtain around his wife's bed and they began engaging in sexual relations while my wife and I were sitting there trying to visit with my mother.


The noise was unbearable, and every so often, the curtain would get kicked and the husband's bare feet would go flying in and out. There was no question what was going on over there. My mother, who is very sharp for her age, was quite embarrassed, as were my wife and I.


I went first to the nurse and then to the administrator of the facility and related what had been going on and the effect on my mother and, quite frankly, anyone within earshot. I was also concerned that this man could come to the facility, get confused, and go into the wrong room and possibly rape a patient if he is intoxicated.


The administrator told me that, by federal law, husbands and wives have rights to conjugal visits, and the nursing home could not stop it. I was shocked when I was told that unless and until the husband did something inappropriate, there was nothing that could be done. I have talked to the families of other residents who are also concerned. Are there any actions we can take to prevent this from happening again? I would like to move my mother, but we are told that all the other beds are full.


A: Lists of residents' rights in nursing facilities are included in both state and federal laws with an eye toward protecting the residents' liberties; however, at the same time, while in a nursing-home setting, residents can't have the complete freedoms they enjoyed outside the facility.


The right to privacy is most important, meaning that when care is being given, the door should be closed, the privacy curtain should be drawn, and the blinds or curtains should be closed.


To avoid violating the law, the facility must avoid endangering a resident's health, safety or welfare. That is why humiliation, harassment and threats constitute mental abuse. On the one hand, the facility can't ignore a resident's request that would improve the quality of that person's life. Yet, on the other, such requests must be considered in light of practicality or potential harm to that and other residents' health and safety.


Because federal law guarantees the right of residents to communicate privately and without restriction with chosen persons, the facility must make arrangements to allow private visits, especially where, as with your mother, the residents share a room.


Although "reasonable hours" may be considered to be normal waking hours to most, the facility must allow a visitor to see a resident during odd hours if requested by the resident if an extraordinary situation presents itself. On the other hand, facilities can restrict visitors if, among other things, the visitor disrupts the proper function of the facility.


That said, while the facility must arrange for private meetings between spouses, there should be special arrangements for those in semiprivate rooms to allow conjugal visits. Based upon our research, we believe the facility is remiss in not providing better accommodations for conjugal visits.


Taking the NextStep: In that your mother's roommate appears to be ambulatory, it might be that a separate private room could be made available. Or, in some instances, a resident may be able to leave the facility for a conjugal visit. Your mother's health and welfare must be balanced against her roommate's rights. We suggest that you try again to resolve the matter and, if you can't, we suggest that you contact the long-term care ombudsman and file a grievance or, as a last resort, move your mother to another facility that "keeps a lid" on patients' rights of this nature.

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.

JAN L. WARNER received his A.B. and J.D. degrees from the University of South Carolina and earned a Master of Legal Letters (L.L.M.) in Taxation from the Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a frequent lecturer at legal education and public information programs throughout the United States. His articles have been published in national and state legal publications. Jan Collins began co-authoring Flying SoloŽ in 1989. She has more than 27 years of experience as a journalist, writer, and editor. To comment or ask a question, please click here.

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