California Seniors Deserve Better Care Options – But There Aren’t Any
January 27, 2025
Originally published by
dudensinglaw.com
BY: Laurie Ladine, Santa Clara County Resident
My mom has always been a determined, proud woman. Even as a single mother with limited resources, she always did her best to give us everything we needed, finding creative ways to make life fun and meaningful. We’ve always been a close family, gathering for every holiday, cherishing every moment. She held various jobs, including working with the sheriff’s department and on campaigns, and later became a nanny until she eventually slowed down.
But now, after experiencing a series of health setbacks, it feels like the system that was supposed to help my mom has only made things worse. It all started when she fell at home in late December 2023, leading to a stay at Emanuel Hospital where doctors found cancer. After the hospital stay, she was transferred to Turlock Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, and that’s when I started to feel my heart sink.
From the beginning, it was clear that the facility was understaffed; the caregivers always seemed rushed, constantly struggling to keep up with the needs of all the residents. My mom had always been meticulous about her appearance and cleanliness, but when I would visit, I found her unbathed, her hair unkempt, and her belongings, such as her clothes and glasses, would go missing. It was the first time in my life I ever saw her not put together, and it was heartbreaking.
Unfortunately, the neglect went far beyond her appearance. The facility missed her first chemotherapy appointment and, when she finally received treatment, the aftercare instructions weren’t followed. Compounding these health issues were serious delays with her medications, leading her to develop multiple infections, including a terrible E. coli-related UTI that left her even weaker than when she first entered the facility. She also had several falls. When I found her slurring and having difficulty with her speech, it took me insisting they take her to a hospital, where a scan showed a life-threatening bleed in her head.
It was as if my mom’s life had become an afterthought. I was constantly terrified about what could happen to her next. Despite my efforts to advocate for her, it felt like nothing was changing. The staff was stretched too thin, and many didn’t seem to have the training they needed to properly care for someone like my mom, who had complex medical needs. I spent nights lying awake, sick with worry, afraid that she wasn’t safe.
What’s worse is how my mom felt. She would tell me she felt helpless, scared, and violated. She talked about feeling roughly handled by staff, like she was just another task to be crossed off a list. It’s heartbreaking to hear your mom say she feels like she doesn’t matter, like her dignity has been stripped away. This wasn’t supposed to be her life at 77. She should be spending these years enjoying time with her family, watching her grandkids grow up, and celebrating graduations. She’s supposed to have a decade left, but right now, she’s just trying to get through each day.
I know we’re not the only family in California struggling with this. I’ve met others who’ve gone through similar experiences, and we all share the same fear—where else can we go? How do we find a place where our loved ones will actually be cared for, rather than just kept alive? We deserve better options than a system that seems broken at every turn.
I’m sharing my mom’s story because I want people to know that what happened to her isn’t right, and it shouldn’t happen to anyone. We need stronger standards in nursing home care. We need enough staff to ensure residents get the attention they deserve, and those staff members need to be properly trained to handle medical needs. We also need transparency, so families like mine can make informed decisions about where to place our loved ones.
No one should have to feel the way my mom has felt—helpless, scared, and vulnerable in a place that was supposed to help her heal. It’s time for real reform, because families shouldn’t have to fight just to get the basic care their loved ones deserve. My mom is still here, and she still has life left to live. She deserves to live it with dignity. All our parents and grandparents do.