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Beth with CCDC vice-chair Jerry Dyer at 2009 Grover Cleveland Reception

by: Beth Funicella

I was saddened and sickened to hear the news of the horrific death by strangulation of a 100-year old nursing home patient at the hands of her 98-year old roommate this past week in Massachusetts.  It happened at a nursing home that I had actually looked at in an effort to move my mother closer to my sister's home, which would have helped to shorten her almost daily trips to visit mom in her nursing "home".  While they had a reputation for quality care, we couldn't stand the thought of my mom having to live in such cramped quarters.   It wasn’t the kind of dignity we had in mind for our mother.

Our family was always there as strong advocates for my mother's nursing home care and had already seen that she was moved out of two other rooms where her "roommates" had been disruptive, and possibly abusive.  We feared for her safety knowing that mom was meek and very weak.   She was finally settled into a room with 99-year old roommate Gert with whom she developed a close and loving attachment.  

Even under better circumstances, there were strains.  Gert watched a lot of television and kept it on very loudly.  My 83-year old mom was very accepting of her circumstances and for the first time in her life, became fascinated with watching football!   She didn’t mind that the window wasn’t on her side of the room.  

But the day-in, day-out strain of living together so closely even in a nice room (still not enough space to have more than a few, small personal items) with good companionship showed signs of stress.  Mom was overly focused on Gert’s frequent complaints always trying to comfort her and see to her needs.  It was her nature to be a caregiver, but I was concerned that Gert’s extreme agitation at times might be contrary to my mother’s needs. 

Both families had a friendly relationship while visiting frequently, closely monitoring the care of our loved ones and taking our moms out regularly for some distraction.  These two lovely ladies were lucky to have such families and each other to see their days come to an end.  Mom died suddenly and peacefully on a Sunday morning.  So grief-stricken was Gert that she stopped eating and wouldn’t sleep alone in that room.  One week later, to the day, Gert passed away with her family and ours by her bedside.  I was happy for the opportunity to be there for Gert since I wasn’t able to be there for my own mother’s passing.

Mom and Gert were lucky in many ways.  Not so the two ladies in the tragic nursing home case.  The story there involves squabbles and mini-dramas over space issues in their room.  Reports say that the accused (now indicted) had been jealous and angry in the weeks before the murder allegedly telling the victim that she would get her bed by the window because she was going to outlive her.  Although offered the opportunity to separate, the future victim declined.  Perhaps because the two had been close friends and constant companions, she just didn’t want more change, something many deplore.  Reports have also stated that the accused had a history of dementia and other “erratic behaviors”, which is not an unusual situation in any nursing home.  It’s a scenario that I had envisioned when my mother was in the nursing home, so this close-to-home news was all the more germane to me.  The circumstances leading to where these two unfortunate souls ended up versus my mother's journey were probably just the luck of the draw.  

I'm very glad that here in Carroll County, we will have a nursing home that will be more than just adequate and will afford privacy, space and dignity for its residents.  As the above cases illustrate, environment has a big impact.  The private rooms that plans call for should help alleviate some of the problems that can lead to disruptive and abusive behaviors, so the chances of such a tragedy happening in our new County nursing him will be greatly diminished.  Private rooms will also make the new home a more attractive alternative for private payers thereby bring in more revenues.  They will also eliminate the problem of waiting for a bed to become available based on gender. The neighborhood concept will afford residents the availability of other spaces to socialize and entertain their own guests.  It’s simply a win-win design and the way to a brighter future for nursing home living. 

Thanks to all the people involved in making the new nursing home a soon-to-be reality in Carroll County, especially Commissioners Dorothy Solomon, Chip Albee and Dave Sorenson.  It is their hard work that has brought us to this point, and though the work is far from over, I am sure they will continue to exercise due diligence in seeing this project to fruition.

Recent news that County taxes are actually going down without cutting services is an indication that these Commissioners have already applied themselves to the job of being excellent caretakers of the public trust.  What a wonderful beginning for the New Year. 

Although there was a last minute effort to derail the project, the result is a credit to the bipartisan efforts of our County Delegation who voted 11 to three in favor of this project.  Please thank them personally for their commitment and goodwill, which will afford us the opportunity to have a nursing facility that can truly be called home.  Remember on voting day who supported this and who didn’t.

Congratulations and best wishes to all those who will live or work in the new Mountain View Nursing Home.  We should all feel proud that Carroll County will continue to provide these vital services in a beautiful and efficient new building.

Beth Funicella is Chair of the Carroll County Democratic Committee and lives in Jackson.  Please watch for an upcoming announcement of a County Summit after the first of the year