About two months ago my mother's hearing aids were "lost." After she diligently handed them to the nurse in the evening, they mysteriously disappeared. We scheduled an appointment with the audiologist and new hearing aids were made--covered by rather expensive insurance. The nursing home's director promised to repay the $360 for the insurance and I brought the new aids up to Mom. When I asked for the old case back, lo and behold, there were her old hearing aids! A great bruhaha developed as I made it clear that I was not pleased with the handling of valuables by the staff.
Three weeks ago, my uncle's right hearing aid disappeared. It had also been given to the nurse for safekeeping overnight, and somehow left the building on its own! Once again I spoke to the nurses, aids and finally, the director, who promised to repay the insurance money (that still hasn't been paid for Mom), and the replacement cost of my uncle's lost aid. The nursing home scheduled an appointment with the audiologist. Then, my uncle was hospitalized. When he returned to the home, I received a call from the audiologist requesting payment for the hearing aid that would be ordered. Long story shorter, now the nursing home director is backpedaling and told the audiologist that he has a fiduciary responsibility to not spend the $2000 replacement fee for the hearing aid. So, this is where we are now. My uncle still has not received his hearing aid; I refuse to lay out the money because I know that the nursing home will never repay us; Mom's insurance money has not been reimbursed; and I am losing my mind. (or what is left of it!)
Why should keeping hearing aids safe overnight be such a challenge? Why won't the nursing home take responsibility for their shortcomings? Why should old people be robbed of one important sense due to shoddy practices? Why am I spending too many of my waking hours chasing after hearing aids and the money needed to replace them? Why? My mother used to answer such questions thus:
"Because "y" is a crooked letter". That never made sense to me before, and it doesn't now.
Saturday, June 8, 2013
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