This is my 4th and final post that tells the story of my 92 year old mother Jeanne and her bedbug-infested apartment 232 at Brookdale Folsom assisted living.
Here’s what I have shared told so far.
- Jeanne’s once tidy studio apartment was turned into a war zone with her mementos thrown in the garbage.
- Brookdale did not notify the family when bedbugs were found in her room
- Brookdale has not paid Jeanne for destroyed property or refunded rent for her quarantined room
Now we’ll explore the big question. Was my mom Jeanne physically injured as the result of bedbugs invading her bed?
Yes.
This one is painful to think about. The fact, is, my mom told me about bugs in her bed twice in April. I regret that I didn’t take her seriously.
Finding a Bug in Her Bed
In April of this year, Jeanne told me the story of finding a bug in her bed one night. She watched the bug move around before smashing it against her sheet with her shoe.
My response to her story was an “I don’t think so” eye roll. She showed me the part of the sheet where the “smashing” took place. It looked to me like a mark that was made by a trace of blood from a scratch on one’s leg. I concluded that she was seeing things, but she insisted that there was a bug visiting her bed.
A week later, there was another bug sighting. This time she hoped someone would take her seriously, so she chased it around the room and trapped it in a paper towel. She then carefully put the trapped bug into a Dixie cup. When I came to 232 for a visit later that day, she proudly showed me the Dixie cup and paper towel. I inspected it, and found only a black spec. It could have been from a bug, but I didn’t think so. I painfully regret that I was of no help to address her concerns.
Each time she spotted a bug of any kind, she reported it to Brookdale. They always responded quickly. At first, they placed a sticky bug trap strip under her bed or couch. I observed that for subsequent times, they just checked the strips. If I happened to be in the room at the time of the inspection, I would ask if they found anything. Once the response was, “I found a single ant”, but we usually got a “I didn’t find anything” response.
The last time I witnessed a “bug trap” inspection was on May 14. I remember the date because that was my mom’s last day at Brookfield. I was there helping her pack for her trip and was surprised to see maintenance manager C in her room. What was he doing? Checking for bugs again.
Bites or Rashes?
We don’t know if the bug sightings reported in 232 in March, April, and May were the cause of the repeated sores on Jeanne’s legs. What we know is that Jeanne complained of painful itchy “bites” on her legs around the same time as the bug sightings. The thought of bedbugs never entered my mind. I naively thought that Brookdale would tell us if there was a concern beyond an everyday bug.
On at least one occasion, she showed the “bites” on her legs to Brookdale staff, but no action was taken.
I took my mom to her doctor in April to get advice about the itchy sores that kept appearing on her legs
Her doctor did not conclude that the sores were bites. Rather, she dismissed them as a rash. During the visit, there was no mention of unnamed bugs hiding in her bed. I wonder if her doctor would have made a different conclusion had she known.
My sister, on the other hand, did not agree with the rash argument. My smart sis anticipated bedbugs. Here’s an email that she sent after hearing the rash diagnosis from Jeanne’s doctor.
Good Night, Sleep Tight
Did the bedbugs bite? Yes!
I believe my mom was injured due to Brookdale’s lack of effective action to address the reported bugs. She reported bugs in her bed and around her apartment in April and May. Bedbugs were positively identified as living in her mattress in June. Its fair to conclude that the bites she complained about in April were from bedbugs.
A Chilling Memory of the Bedbug Song
I spent several weeks living with my parents in 2020 in their small retirement home shortly before my dad passed away. This was required to provide a level of care that was necessary to keep my dad out of a nursing home.
Here are Bruce and Jeanne posing on their 65th wedding anniversary during the time I lived with them. Due to COVID restrictions, they were not able to celebrate with friends. Instead, they honored the occasion with a sign on their front porch.
By that time, my dad’s memory had failed him. His memory was choppy, but every night at bedtime, he remembered to chant the song.
“Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don’t let the Bedbugs Bite.”
But when saying goodnight to my mom, he added an alternate ending.
“Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don’t let the Bedbugs Bite.
And if they do, hit them with a shoe until that bug is black and blue”
Who would have known that a few years later, my mom would need take his advice?
Final Thoughts
Brookdale Folsom’s protocol to address continuous reports of bug sightings was not enough. Their neglect caused my mother countless hours of worry and suffering.
Seeing my mother endure unexplained health struggles for months, only to later discover the structural neglect that caused them, has been heartbreaking. Watching her living space physically quarantined, taped shut, and left in shambles was the final indicator that the corporate promises made at move-in did not match the operational reality on the ground.
It is impossible to understand how a multi-billion dollar company like Brookdale can completely ignore my continuous emails and registered letters. Our expectations are simple.
- Provide care for my 92 year old mother
- Address her concerns
- Communicate potential issues to her family
- Follow the law
- Show integrity when dealing with a difficult situaton
- Respond to inquiries professioally and honestly
- Resolve problems in an ethical manner
These blog posts are more than just a timeline of our personal property loss and administrative frustration. It is a testament to my mother’s resilience, and a reminder that our elders deserve fierce, unwavering advocacy.
We are sharing Jeanne’s story because no senior should have to suffer in silence, and no family should have their trust upended by corporate dismissiveness. Our family is lucky. We have the ability to fight an injustice as we attempt to right a wrong and close the Brookdale Chapter in my mom’s life. However, there are many beautiful faces at Brookdale Folsom that I have met who might not have the same ability. They are my motivation as I fight to hold Brookdale accountable.
We are thankful to several individual Brookdale Folsom staff members who consistently provided genuine care and compassion for my mother. We recognize your efforts and express our appreciation for you.
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