Posted on 09/15/2005 3:44:35 AM PDT by strange1
“What people have to understand is, you’re presented with a horrible choice,” Cobb said. “You take people who are on feeder tubes, who are on oxygen, who are on medications and you put them on a bus to go 70 miles in 12 hours? People are going to die, people are going to die, we know that.”
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
I regularly see people on oxygen at the malls and in fact my grandma was on axygen this past Labor Day.
What kind of meds can't be taken on a 70 mile bus ride?
People are going to die
Apparently more decidely so if you happen to be a patient at St. Rita's.
Well, if I were them, I know what defense I'd use. Something about a certain high-ranking politician leaving someone to drown and getting off scot-free.
Judge Napolitano (FOX) was talking about this with John Gibson....
..We all know Gov.Blanco and the Mayor waffled, waffled, waffled bigtime whether to order mandatory evacuations.
...and only did so at the very last minute...
...From what Judge & John said yesterday, this nursing home called the relatives of these older folks and told them they could come get them.
The relatives declined.
The 'home' decided to hunker down and there were nursing home workers who were there with the residents and who died along with them.
These residents weren't abandoned by the workers.
It is a hard call.
Here in Florida, a very excellent assisted living home, bussed their residents all the way to Atlanta!!!.....and it took long long hours to get there and these folks are not spritely.
Another home decided to hunker down....and had brought in extra medical supplies and food and workers to sit through the night with the residents.
..the manager of this facility lost the roof of her own home while she spent the night with the residents.
My opinion....the owners of this home are the first scapegoats so that those who want to blame someone can look to them.........
..rather than Blanco and Nagin...where the real blame belongs!!!
Apparently during one of the previous New Orleans-threatening storms they did evacuate nursing home patients by bus and what should have been a relatively short ride turned into 12 hours in the heat and several of the folks did die because of it. And of course, that storm missed New Orleans.
It's a struggle between caution, liability, good faith...and lawyers.
They are all guilty. I can not see giving the nursing home people a pass when every other nursing home in the parish evacuated their patients and from what I hear with no loss of life in the process. If you run a nursing home on a coast that has hurricanes on a regular basis evacuating the patients is part of doing business. If it is too much hassle have a business somewhere else.
Telling families they "can" come get their relative is a lot different from saying "Come and get them because we are not going to evacuate" From interviews with family members I have heard they were assured their loved one would be evacuated. If the patient was ambulatory it would be easy for families to get them. If they had special needs they did not have equipment of training to deal with they were not unreasonable or lax in thinking the nursing home would keep their word.
I am on the coast...of Florida.
Nursing & assisted living homes have a responsibility and duty to pay close attention to the weather, and from what I've seen around here, they do!
Last year, during the numerous hurricanes we experienced....(category 2 & 3...a powerful 3 to 4)...each facility took action as they saw fit.
One downtown hunkered down and they were all fine.
Another bussed their patients to Atlanta...
..and another evacuated, only to discover their facility held up well, and probably won't evacuate again....(unless it's a direct hit)
But we've experienced hurricanes that linger w/winds for 12 hours or longer.
We've experienced hurricanes that while not a direct hit, were close enough to feel like it.
..and this was only last year.
But what our city/state had that New Orleans didn't......
..clear, concise direction from the local authorities and the Governor Jeb Bush!!!
These nursing/assisted living facilites rely on good direction and in a timely manner.
New Orleans did not have this....
...yes, these owners may be culpable....
..but if Blanco and Nagin get a pass......It will be plain criminal!
I think your right. I've worked in nursing homes before and some of these poeple are very fragile, not to mention the ones who are extremely over weight and have to be lifted with medical equipment, how are you going to get them on and off a bus?
The REAL problem ( which is the real problem for ALL the problems) is that these type facilities are in a city where it is KNOWN a Cat 4 or 5 will devastate the area
They should not be there
That city should not be rebuilt in the areas that are under water PERIOR
Should be P E R I O D
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