This Doesn't Seem Right--Is It Just Me?

Hey there,

I'm so glad you're concerned about all the folks at that center - sounds very common. I would be weary about making claims though, against this person or people until you personally witness what is going on. From what you wrote, it sounds like you are basing your concern on hearsay, not personal experience, and if you want to really know what is going on, you need to personally witness the supposed abuse. Unless this particular facility is a cult, I am assuming that there are employees who are not religious, and would object to "brainwashing" if it was going on - AND, you can bet that the nurses, med aides and caregivers would most likely be very alarmed if the person was encouraging residents to not take their medications.

You can ask to meet with the facility director and question the relationship of this individual to any employee, resident, etc, and also find out what other volunteer organizations/individuals speak at this facility. You can also go in and spend time with the residents and ask THEM if they are uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, long term care facilities are a rich environment for gossip, half-truths and suspicious people. Yes, abuse certainly occurs, and the best way to prevent or stop it is to first become as informed as you can about the exact nature of the suspected abuse, and then act on it. But make sure you know exactly what is going on, being careful to not make accusations based upon second-hand accounts of people who aren't even directly involved.

Best wishes - I'm thankful you care so greatly!!

It is definitely unethical. I just picture a bunch of elderly patients that are probably A&Ox nothing, being wheeled into a room where this guy does his hypnosis. It is totally wrong. Religion and spirituality are important to some patients and should either be completely generic or extremely individualized. But your saying this guy wants donations....Preachers of God shouldn't fool these vulnerable patients for a buck. Report it. Don't be afraid to use your voice.This field is all about patient advocacy. Go nurses and nurses to be!!!

sweetp-

I used to live in TX and lost a very dear friend of mine when she decided to begin following Kenneth Copeland's church. Don't get me wrong, she's still alive. But after going to his church she began telling me that if you believed in Jesus enough, you wouldn't need doctors. She also began pasting homemade signs all over town on laundromat and fast food windows that she loved God, etc...She then told me that Jesus told her that if I was not "saved" and a part of this church, I was evil and she could no longer be my friend....That church and its followers scare me....

Sweetp-

Yeah, it's really scary. I mean, I believe in God and I respect other's beliefs, etc.... But when it seems to start turning "cultish" I'm out the door.

There are bigger fishes to fry in my humble opinion.

This does not constitute abuse or neglect. And if it did, you also would be held liable for not reporting it, initially.

Let us not make mountains out of molehills. To report something like this will potentially overwhelm the authorities with trivial investigations. Using up precious resources that could be better spent investigating actual pt abuse and neglect, or professional misconduct by staff.

An anonymous letter with your concern to the director(s) of this facility would be a more appropriate way to handle this matter.

Is Oral Roberts still alive? I don't like him, nor those like him. They do financially prey on lonely old people and gullible people. Oral Roberts once claimed that God had told him that he would be struck dead if he didn't raise 1 million dollars by a certain date. Yep, his God is an extortionist and so is he in my opinion.

Trivial? I would submit what they are doing is almost worse than physical abuse. To take a group of people, many of which are of a diminished mental capacity, and preach voodoo, complete with chants , hang prayers in their rooms insinuating they are sinners , tell them they are going to hell if they do not accept a 2000 year old dead rabbi as their personal savior.... and THEN hit them up for CASH?

Mountains out of molehills? I think the OP is actually underestimating how dangerous this is. I can assure you, if I had personal knowledge of this, I would not have asked on a discussion forum what to do, It would already have been done. We are wayyy too tolerant of religions bilking people in this country. It is time to fight theses charlatans.

MP5PDW
I stand by what I wrote. Have you ever been into a church?! In case you haven't, all what you describe is the bread and butter of church doctrine.
Also have you ever heard of Benny Hin? Well he operates on a larger scale, he make the sick and disabled come to him, filling stadiums with false promises that he can heal them. My aunt with parkinson's disease traveled to Pennsylvania once to try to meet him, to be healed. I could not convince her it was a scam.

In case you mistook my statements as being in support of what is taking place in that facility...let me assure you...nothing could be further from the truth.

To me, this matter does not rise to the level of standards of care not being followed.

With diminished mental capacities, as you mentioned, I doubt much of what's being preached is even registering. The religiously inclined will always welcome religion in any of its deceptive forms. You can not tell them otherwise.

Yes its unethical what is happening, but so are many other more serious scenarios in this profession...like maintaining life when there is zero quality of life and no hope for recovery. Or not being fed, again, and having your untouched food tray removed, because the PCA/CNA/RN was occupied elsewhere, and there was no one else to feed you. I could go on. But I would venture that you see what I mean by trivial, and making mountains out of molehills.