Life and Death in Assisted Living (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

​​More and more elderly Americans will be faced with the decision as to whether to spend their later years in assisted living facilities, which have sprung up as an alternative to nursing homes. But is this loosely regulated, multi-billion dollar industry putting seniors at risk? (Aired 2013)

In this major 2013 investigation with ProPublica, FRONTLINE examines the operations of the nation’s largest assisted living company, raising questions about the drive for profits and fatal lapses in care. Assisted living started in the 1980s as a reaction to nursing homes, which had become more oriented toward hospitalization, and as a way of offering seniors more choices and more independence in the way they live. But over the years, assisted living has evolved to house seniors who need specialized care, such as those with memory impairments. That means that people have more needs, require more attention — and, some senior advocates argue, more or better regulations to ensure that the residents are safe and getting the quality of care they need.

#Documentary #AssistedLiving

FRONTLINE is produced at GBH in Boston and is broadcast nationwide on PBS. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding is provided by the Abrams Foundation; the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Park Foundation; the Heising-Simons Foundation; and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation, and additional support from Koo and Patricia Yuen.

CHAPTERS:
Prologue - 00:00
The Rise of Assisted Living - 01:20
Dementia, Alzheimer's & Memory Care - 10:22
Questionable Deaths in Assisted Living Facilities - 15:55
Assisted Living Employees Speak Out - 24:23
“This is About Everyone who has Alzheimer's or Dementia” - 30:50
A Lawsuit Against Emeritus - 42:15
Credits - 51:57

[kimberlypride]

I have been a nurse for 42 years. I have NEVER seen a facility with enough staff to provide SAFE care to residents.

[laraclarke]

This is how we repay our elderly for their lives of hard work and contributions to our society, to our communities and to our lives? It's heartbreaking how the elderly are treated ... Glad to see some light shining on this topic

[richardlong]

When mom died of cancer, dad moved in with my sister. After a few months she put him in assisted living facility without notifying me. He stayed there until his contract was up while I readied my house so he could stay with us. In the meantime I visited him everyday and brought him with me in my work truck to my job sites or wherever else he chose to go, ie golf course, old employer, stores, restaurants. When the house was ready, he moved in with my wife and I and stayed there for 2 more years until he died. I still miss him and that was 31 years ago.

[cecilappleby]

I'm a nurse and worked at different areas including nursing homes and LTAC. It was a heart breaking experience. The staff are rude treating residents like animals. Though there are a few with good hearts and hardworking but they are burnt out. I picked up a part time on the weekends as a treatment nurse and I was shocked to see wound dressings were not changed, I'll find dressings I did from my last shift which was a week ago. Patients with long-term urinary catheters use tubings were nasty and had not been changed. There are sooo many more....

I'll never forget one day, I sat and clipped one of the residents fingernails and the next thing I heard and saw are residents on their wheelchairs lining up to get their nails clipped as well. 😢 I was told I shouldn't do it coz it has to be a podiatrist but where is he or she? Residents nails are getting too long causing skin tears.

I have sooo many stories...when my father got sick, I quit my job and took care of him at my house, nursing home or assisted living was never an option to me.

[myrnajucar]

Here in the Philippines, we take care of our parents when they grow old. They stay with us in our own homes until they die. We have a culture of loving and caring for our elders.

[rr]

We took my mother in-law into our home In 2012 due to her dementia. I took care of her full time all the way until she died this year (2022). She feared going to a rest home, and hospital, so we kept her with us. She died peacefully in her bedroom surrounded by her loved ones. It wasn’t always easy. But I’m so glad we did.

[sabrinay]

I was a CNA for awhile. If you have to put your loved one in a home, please be very involved with their care. And make sure the staff knows it. Plus please put cameras in their rooms. It's your right and they can't refuse you. They run on a shoestring budget, even the high end ones. We were so overwhelmed. I loved that job, but I just couldn't take the workload or the low pay

[arkeshiaarkeshia]

My grandmother was in a nursing home by her choice until she passed in August 2022. She knew we had families and jobs. All she asked was that we never forgot about her. So my dad cooked home cooked meals for her 2 to 3 times per week, and I washed her clothes weekly and refreshed her snacks and toiletries monthly. I can say this, when staff knows the family is highly involved, the fewer issues you will have. Because we were on their asses like white on rice, and they fixed them immediately!

[neoncat]

I love that the Boice family refused the settlement offer from Emeritus because they absolutely did not want to give up their right to speak about what happened to their mother. I applaud them for that.

[LeiLei]

A word of advice from a former nursing home employee: Visit your loved ones often at any care facility, including the hospital & rehab. If you go every week switch up the days. Show up at different times. Try to go during meal times. Do not be predictable.

Do not be afraid to speak up. Ask questions. Pay attention to them. If they start to decline shortly after admission, something might be amiss. You might not get an answer depending on your relationship to the resident/patient due to HIPAA, but it sends a signal that that person has people who care. That tends to deter abuse.

Some families do have to send loved ones to the nursing home. There are good homes out there. Do your research.

[mattzilla]

The way we treat our elderly is truly horrific

[edwardgabriel]

I'm 95 and my daughter looks after me. I'm fairly independent and when I suggest I enter an assisted living facility to free up her life, she says "Trust me, dad, you will not be happy there." After reading the comments here, I understand why she said it. Great video.

[Jen]

My mother was adamant about never going into a nursing home!! I was happy to grant her wish!! I found a wonderful person to move in and live with her. She died in her home!! It was the least I could do for her, she took care of me when I was helpless!! I was proud to do the same for her!!

[meechiebaby]

Former assisted living care staff here: When we got too "close" to the residents, when we actually cared for them as if they were our own family, we were reprimanded and eventually fired. We were often told that we were spending too much time with any one resident. I had to leave the care profession because I felt that I wasn't able to properly care for the residents, and it was taking a toll on my mental health. I loved the residents like they were my family, and I was reprimanded for it. I just couldn't do it anymore.

[catbriggs]

My Mom had a pressure ulcer. We were caring for her at home, with visits by home health-care aides and nurses. They had a wound-care specialist nurse come in and dress the wound (a complicated process) several times a week. They prescribed a medical cushion to alleviate as much pressure as possible, since she was immobile. The family made sure she walked, changed positions, etc. Any time we were concerned, the nurse came out. She had bath aides and other specialized health care by professionals. Her care was outstanding. The fees were modest. I'm thankful she never ended up in one of these nightmare facilities. I can't even imagine the suffering our vulnerable elders are enduring. In some of these business models, they're victims of parasitic greed.

[sanjuancity]

I can relate to this having Mom in an assisted-living facility for almost two years. Her health rapidly declined, her personal hygiene degraded, she had fallen and broken her hip, she was medically overdosed, and the facility was gravely understaffed. We visited her practically daily and one Sunday, a visiting priest told us to consider placing her in hospice due to her condition. We pulled Mom out immediately and she lived another three fruitful years with us earning her wings at 89.

[ravanne]

After watching this, I can almost be grateful that my mother passed away last year from cancer and never reached the point where assisted living or a nursing home even was an issue. My dad is now nearly 80 and lives with me and I will do everything I can to make sure that he will never leave the home that he loves.

[gladismendez]

Keeping your oldest loved at home it’s the gift you can give to them and the love of theirs family is all they want ❤

[cameronfielder]

This is gross. Some things should not be turned into business. Schools, healthcare, senior homes.. it’s disgusting. Imagine being ok with getting rich off of this? We as a species need to grow out of this greed or else we surely will disappear and for good reason.

[IamKimsational]

Coming from a nurse, whose spouse and son are also nurses, this documentary is quite spot on. I applaud you for making these cases known to a wider audience. Many, many people go into healthcare for the wrong reasons; sounds like the big corps who own assisted living as some of those folks. Thank you for taking the time to make this amazing piece of work.