Unsubstantiated

 

For the last 24 years, I’ve worked at an agency that is a subcontractor of the PA Department of Health (DoH).  During that time, I have yet to encounter a helpful DoH staff member.  You would think statistically, the odds are there would be at least one staff person trying to make things better but that hasn’t been my experience.  So, I don’t know why I was surprised at the DoH response to my recent complaint regarding the nursing home forgetting to feed Gary.

 

It took them 44 days to “investigate” – I realize they may have had more serious allegations during that time, but I doubt they did anything about those either.  They told me that they observed lunch and the residents they saw were fed (“One resident even had 2 hamburgers!”). And apparently that guy having 2 hamburgers negates the fact that they forgot (or neglected) to feed Gary dinner.  Twice.  So, my complaint is “unsubstantiated”, and the nursing home is free to continue neglecting residents.

 

Because when it comes to resident health and safety, DoH finds complaints unsubstantiated.  And residents insubstantial.