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My dad has been a resident of Matagorda Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for 5 years. There was a problem on Wednesday May 20, 2009. I asked to speak with the administrator and was told by Bonnie that Trista was at lunch, I asked for her cell phone number and was told they could not give it out. I asked for Trista to contact me when she returned. I left my phone number with Bonnie, she repeated back to me and it was correct. Time of the call was approximately 2:30 pm. After about a thirty minute wait I told staff at my office in Rockport, Texas that I will have to leave and drive to Bay City to check on my dad's prescription. It is approximately 100 miles from Rockport to Bay City. I did the drive, but I still have not received a return phone call from the Administrator and it is now May 31, 2009. Does this person refuse to maintain proper communications with clients Responsible Party? My dad is self pay, I send the check every month.

You mentioned several issues:
1- it's common for Administrators to refuse to give out cell phone numbers. She should have called you back, or the Director of Nurses (aka Director of Nursing Services) should have done so. I would schedule a meeting with both of them, and bring a witness along. It doesn't have to be an adversarial meeting, but if it goes bad you'll have back-up.

2- There should be no reason that you have to drive 30 minutes to check on a prescription. The floor nurses should have been able to tell you if it was filled. Depending upon the pharmacy the nursing home uses (or your father uses, if the insurance requires), you should have access to the pharmacy to ask any questions about the prescription. Please be aware that most nursing homes have delivery of prescriptions twice a day - am/pm and unless its an emergency the pharmacy won't deviate from the schedule.

3- Regardless of whether your father is self-pay or a Medicaid recipient, you and he deserve to be treated well and your questions answered in a timely manner. If you have a problem that the facility can't resolve, you can get the number of the Ombudsman and/or state agency that oversees your facility from a bulletin board in the facility. You can also call the Area Agency on Aging (http://www.dads.state.tx.us/contact/aaa.cfm) for the ombudsman that serves the area where your father lives.

I hope this was helpful.

Elliemae