AStrongFemaleCharacter
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This was the scene at La Vita Bella Assisted Living in Dickinson, Texas. I called Galveston County Office of Emergency Management and got the Dickinson PD on the phone. Officer confirmed knowledge of the situation and assured me rescue of the residents is currently underway. I'm concerned the lady in the back might be deceased.
UPDATE: These residents were rescued!
https://www.google.com/amp/www.nydailynews.com/amp/news/national/nursing-home-patients-airlifted-safety-harvey-floodwaters-article-1.3446793
kleinekitsa
As a CNA, I can say that the one in back is likely asleep. A lot of my residents will crash out like that if I can't lay them down quickly.
Sheldonian
Oh god, that could lead to some nasty infections, i hope they're ok
GitRightStik
They're in a nursing home. Probably already have a few nasty infections.
Solid5outof7
These water aerobics classes are getting ridiculous
BlackPengu
too soon +1
Kelroth127
Jesus fucking Christ.
Ebalmatronic
That cat is pissed
SecretaryNotSure
As a survivor of the Big K in NOLA, and a first responder, nursing homes are quickly forgotten. Just thinking about what I saw still hurts
Hybris51129
One image that has stayed with me since then is a old woman in a wheelchair with a note that she is with god now outside a stadium I think.
suddencardiomyopathy
As a healthcare provider I am appalled and heartbroken.... the deserve better. They should have been evacuated.
Brant04
They better save the cat too
AgingApe
Not even a flood will stop Nana from knitting my Christmas sweater!
AStrongFemaleCharacter
I don't think she's knitting.
alpacasaurusrex
You better wear that shit too. You better wear it!
Notforhire
Lady in the back definitely does not look good
AnonymouslyGratifying
Where are their families??? Shouldn't they have made sure they were evacuated?
ShamnusMcfee
They are in assisted living. It's where families put elderly members when they don't wanna be the ones doing the assisting.
SidneyHarbor
Just FYI, it's not about "don't wanna be" for people who still have jobs and aren't able to provide 24x7 care. I'm not a nurse.
michonnedisapproves
Fuck off. Sometimes it's simply not feasible.
Rapola
I found the idealistic asshole who's never been in a situation where nursing care is the only viable option for an elderly relative. 1/2
Rapola
2/2 try living with an aggressive dementia patient and a toddler and hold down a full-time job.
michonnedisapproves
This. My grandmother is physically and verbally aggressive. Even if we had the means it's too much for one or even two people sometimes
cpuddic2
Is that woman knitting?! - "oh well, they'll get here when they get here". - Ol' Gramma, probably.
MerToo
"I haven't been this wet since the time I saw Sean Connery snorkelling in Dr. No"
TheMightyMoto
Why are the old people always forgotten.
MerToo
they wouldn't be in there if they had any money...
AStrongFemaleCharacter
This doesn't always happen which is why it's so shocking.
SJohnson23
Dementia.
BlackPengu
-1
asthmatherapeutics
Very sad
wolfiedk
This fucking disgusts me, the general population of the us should be fucking ashamed that this could happen, there is more2life than profit
MerToo
"No, there isn't." - a large proportion of the US population, apparently.
AStrongFemaleCharacter
I'm with you. It's why I put this photo on Imgur and tweeted it. I want to make sure folks know what happened here.
wolfiedk
and yet Trump is in power dismantling everything for his corporate rat cronies, I fear for your collective futures, you must do something!!
mineovermatter
Again fuck off u ignorant cunt.
mineovermatter
Oh fuck off. Yes it's awful, why the fuck should *I* be ashamed, since I had fuck all to do with it. Shut up u stupid git.
wolfiedk
well, you all vote, yes?, so why not vote for someone who will treat you with human dignity? even when old and not longer fiscally viable?
Nehuya
What's a git?
Sooothisonethyme
Derogative term. Could also be used; idiot, fool.
735824
Quickly, jump to as many conclusions as possible you ignorant fucking drama vampires.
spidercop
Inexcusable.. whoever owns this establishment should be held responsible
morganblue1988
The Houston mayor told people not to evacuate. All they could do was wait to be rescued at this point.
GiLIswhatIspend
Can the owners control mother nature?
fukmeefuku
No but they knew it was coming
adamrac
Story linked below states it was the owner who took the picture in order to get help. Disasters strike, people prepare the best they can.
MyCatLikesToFruitcake
Proof that families dump their elderly there and forget about them. How AWFUL.
[deleted]
[deleted]
Amazingamandaaaaa
Having / taking photos of residents is against HIPAA so I'm surprised to see this
Amazingamandaaaaa
Not unless they all said they were ok with it
DiedAndHauntingImgur
Read the article.
LooseyGooseyBrett
Someone needs to go to jail
nolanurse
Owner took the photo. Had an evacuation plan but didn't use it. (Source is article linked in comments). Shame on her.
pharmboy
If by "fired" you mean "stabbed in the taint"
MrLunas
For what? Not carrying them up on the roof?
AStrongFemaleCharacter
They should have evacuated them days ago as a precaution.
MrLunas
To where? At who's cost?
PhantomGeek
Excellent point. Don't know why you're getting downvotes. 99% of the time the seniors are on fixed incomes, without ANYONE to care for them,
AStrongFemaleCharacter
This isn't our first rodeo. Rule of thumb is that nursing home residents ALWAYS evacuate north. It's the cost of doing business.
apparentlysethrogen
I worked in EMS for 10 years. Nothing about this surprises me.
RheaButt
Just pointing out that the owner posted this photo looking for help after being told not to evacuate, this isn't really neglect
SaltyDitchDr
Me either. Also, the one im the back that looks dead, also not uncommon in a normal nursing home.
m30wm1x
Yea. Walk through any nursing home and there'll be a bunch sitting or laying there with eyes closed, mouth agape, pale skin but still alive.
AStrongFemaleCharacter
I'm worried about that too. Hope not.
ilovemyboobs
is there any update about that?
apparentlysethrogen
There must be so much poop in that water.
ThatoneQuebecguywhothinkshesCanadian
Poor cat...
Babyguraffe
I work in a care home, seeing this breaks my heart..
MerToo
working in a care home was going break it eventually
spitfires2000
Are you saying this is REAL?!
ImNotAnOrange
there was a lot of mandatory evacuations that got ignored, youd think a place like this would get a bus or something but nope too expensive
Kittendoodles
Houston could not be Mandatory evacuated because 6.1 million people live there. Check out what happened during prev. Mandatory evacuated.
ImNotAnOrange
oh ya i know, i didnt mean houston, i mean other counties, but also if you're gonna move anyone why not move the mobile but high risk folks?
JustMe042002
It is
asthmatherapeutics
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/nursing-home-patients-airlifted-safety-harvey-floodwaters-article-1.3446793 Nursing home patients a
ledious
Is that lady... Knitting?
redwings736
They were all rescued and safe
AStrongFemaleCharacter
It's real. Called Dickinson PD to make sure they were aware of the situation there and the officer confirmed it, said rescue was underway.
adelaideannie
My mother is in an assisted living. I would be horrified if this was happening to her.
thejenster
Houstonian yup it's real. All over our news.
byedone
Extremely disturbing
ImNotAnOrange
did anyone tell them not to sit in the water, that really isnt good for them even if it was clean, its still gonna sap body heat
Warune
They might not have a choice if it's that high
spitfires2000
Well... at least they can make some popcorn while they wait to be rescued.
AStrongFemaleCharacter
Just saw them get some news coverage.
spitfires2000
Ohh, so you haven't actually seen it, you're just reporting it?
chickenoodlesoup
Was there any fatalities? Wondering about that one person slumped over in front of the cat...
vitrosyuask
Ugh me too. Doesn't look natural
buggeredifiknow
The owners stayed with the residents, didn't leave. It's in the news report that the owners didn't abandon the people. Bad situation though
vhdangel
But they could have arranged for transport prior to the storm. This is bullshit.
buggeredifiknow
But unless it was guaranteed to flood there was likely a risk based assessment of disrupting 30+ special needs lives. They were wrong.
buggeredifiknow
Doesn't make the result great, but it does point out the failings of having to measure cost VS risk.
mommommommom
Read somewhere that the owners were told not to evacuate the residents.
harrylovesginny07
Depending on where it is, a lot of Houston was told they didn't need to evacuate and now they are flooded in.
Electriccarsbestcars
Houston area is turbo fucked. The storm is looping around and just dumping for the next 5 days.
aarospoon13
We are, indeed. As much as it sucks and I'm a first floor pleb next to a soon to overflow retention pond, that description made me grin.
IWantToPetYourPussyCat
I'm about an hour away from Houston and there is major flooding all through my town. We are all getting fucked. Stay safe!
ColonKoala
Galveston is still safe!
gx67
Good friends of mine live in Houston. The river in front of their 1st-floor apartment is flooded. I hope they stay safe.
brenhamwagner
In Houston and I can definitely agree- so much of the east side and west sides of Houston got it yesterday and last night.
Electriccarsbestcars
I'm in the PNW, but my coworker flew down to Houston on Friday so i've been keeping an eye on it. Definitely hope it doesn't get worse. GL
rickeyspanish
oh it is
AStrongFemaleCharacter
Beaumont?
IWantToPetYourPussyCat
Conroe
10aflyViper
Eyyy, I'm about ten miles from Beaumont. All good where I am, fortunately.
AStrongFemaleCharacter
Vidor? China?
itstzarina
You're can really tell from the comments who's lived in hurricane country and who hadn't...
scruffymarcher
Fucking thank you
despondentriver
Glad the residents were rescued. But is the cat ok?
WillaSue
Are you even fucking serious?
MrsZbornak
i hope they also rescued the cat with the poor old people
Senatoruppercut
Who do you think flooded the room?
wggur
nzor
The cat has the dead lady. Cats ate her face.
imonewiththeforceandtheforceiswithme
Cat is the only dry one in the room
LoodGookin
Sad as this situation is, that comment made me laugh since it is so true.
imonewiththeforceandtheforceiswithme
Sometimes you gotta laugh so you don't cry
richincleve
This is horrible. How's the cat?
rickeyspanish
you can tell he ate all the popcorn
herooftime9000
He survived. He was sitting on the passed out lady.
BackInTheBox
Cats can swim
JoseDeLaNoWay
...can. I'd bet that cat would sit there for days before needing to swim.
Darksole1
Forget being sued the owner should be held criminally liable and go to jail!!!
Distractedlurker
For making it rain? For not beating up the hurricane? Because the building isn't water proof? For what exactly should he be jailed?
Fahargo
If a hospital just stopped caring for patients and let them die, would that not be criminal?
Rebmemer
Criminal negligence. If your business is to provide care and safety then you're liable to do so.
v
Dsharppe
Bro, USA doesn't care. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/20649744/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/katrina-nursing-home-owners-acquitted/#.WaNCvsaQyig
mymalcontentaccount
WTF @OP? You've been presented evidence that the OWNER of the facility took and sent this pic when asking for help after being told not 1/?
mymalcontentaccount
to evacuate by officials and you still keep up this BS post about only wanting to make sure they can't disavow it. And wasting the PDs 2/?
mymalcontentaccount
time by calling it? You couldn't honestly think you were the first one. The only shameful behavior is you whoring out their suffering 3/3
AStrongFemaleCharacter
I'm a LCSW. I'm required by law to notify the police if a child or elderly person is in imminent harm. Folks were saying the photo was fake.
mymalcontentaccount
You seem to have misspelled "I wanted to be praised on social media".
AStrongFemaleCharacter
I had no way of knowing who had done what. If they had got the police on the phone why had they taken to social media? So I did SOMETHING.
mymalcontentaccount
And yet you haven't updated your description in the post.
MrLunas
Ok that's fucked up.
throwaway111111111111111111111
What's more fucked are the people on facebooking claiming it's photoshopped...
AStrongFemaleCharacter
Mind boggling how this happens but the officer on the phone pointed out it's all over. They should have evacuated out of caution.
MrLunas
I was under the impression everyone was told not to evacuate. That evacuation would be worse.
ellavator
Yeah. As the 4th largest city and the nightmare
ellavator
When people tried evacuating the last time from Allison I believe it was, no one wanted to evacuate.
jankyouverymuch
Can we stop to note that the woman center left is STILL KNITTING. She like "this is nothing, I was in California for the '55 AND '64 floods"
SnarkySophia
I use knitting to help manage my anxiety, so I'd imagine she's doing the same.
Arumarm
She's used to being treated poorly, probably.
dbrsong
Probably saying, this is it Hazel, this'll be the one that takes us out. Gonna finish my scarf.
vladimirpurrtin
OMG RIGHT!?! I love her. She's my hero.
WillaSue
She probably has dementia or something. This is heartbreaking as fuck....
Ryebread91
From how California sounds I would think that was maybe an inch of rain those years.
MisterLemons
Yeah, but
usersubbordercontrol
That lady or the cat? Both look pretty grim
wildkatrn
Dementia people. It's probably dementia
firecatsrt
Looks more like floodwater to me
RubelliteFae
Since there's 4 people with what I'mma call "florescent coral," I would guess these were handed out for rescue visibility, not knitting.
Tinkrr
They've probably been around long enough that this is just another annoyance they have to put up with again. Strong folks.
drdavessardogs
Fuck ya! They survived the Depression and WWII - This annoying like a mosquito buzzing your head.
samsonguy920
Yeah, they could easily be panicking and hurting each other. With nothing else to do, may as well just carry on. I do hope help came by now.
samsonguy920
> That water not only carries nasty shit, but can easily give all of those ladies hypothermia in no time.
Tinkrr
Help probably came, as the picture was posted by the facility owners in an attempt to get help faster.
samsonguy920
Props to them. I have to wonder how many caregivers stuck around or left the owners and tenants floating in the water? >
samsonguy920
> I hate having that nagging cynical side of me.
oceansapart
The article says that the owners were told not to evacuate the residents because the building had never before flooded. It also says 1/?
oceansapart
the owner is the one who sent out the pictures trying to get help. While I think it was stupid not to evacuate in the first place 2/?
v3rmilion
Yeah this sounds like corporate vs local. Company doesn't want to evacuate because they don't understand the gravity of it
CthulhuDeepOne
The company is privately owned. This woman decided that, since the place had never flooded before, it wasn't necessary to evacuate.
TheHappyHermit
just read that residents were told to shelter in place b/c the roadways couldn't handle an evacuation (lesson learned after Rita)
BustinMakesMeFeelGood420
Yeah, my brother is just north of Houston. Sat on the road for almost 2 days during Rita with 4 kids...he was having none of that this time
[deleted]
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Trunkmonkay
Quit being an emotional shitweasel and use your noggin. Who do you think took the damn picture?
Kamasu0Tra
We get it, you are emotional. But don't think with your heart, think with your head.
AStrongFemaleCharacter
You're right.
Spikelf
Who took the picture?
oceansapart
The owners.
IronicUsername
So you reject a fairly reasonable explanation based solely on the fact that the owners didn't decide to come chill in the building?
oceansapart
it sounds like it might not be the severe case of neglect being portrayed and rather just a bad decision made on bad advice. 3/3
hereforcake
I was listening to a phone interview on npr with a teenager who is in the same situation and was given the same advice.
Fuckweasel
I followed the landfall live on Reddit. Much to meteorologists' dismay the area Mayors did not call for mandatory evac. Leads to this.
KangInDaNarth
The governor repeated said to evacuate, but the mayor did not listen apparently now hes gone dark
Fuckweasel
Yeah, there were seriously mixed signals being given. It's a tragic mess and some of it didn't have to be. :(
aselfdefeatingattitude
One mayor literally said he didn't think it was the job of the government to tell people what to do.
aselleus
From a economic/budget standpoint, you are going to be spending a fuck ton more money rescuing stranded people.
Yay295
I'd agree that the government shouldn't tell people what TO do, but that doesn't mean it can't can't tell people what they SHOULD do.
Fuckweasel
Oh for fuck sake....
ILikeCharmanderOk
Well, you elect dumbass Republicans who want to screw the poor in the name of helping them, that's what you get.
DEATHlikescats
When your small government ideology runs into the gale force winds of real logic hitting you in the face and drowning you. >__<
Lan098
Houston mayor is a democrat
AStrongFemaleCharacter
You may be right. My knee jerk reaction was to blame the owner, it's possible decision was based on bad info and not maliciousness.
oceansapart
I can understand that, it's a horrifying picture no matter. And I can appreciate your concern. But, it helps to know the whole story.
ridoshi
People didnt evacuate because the hurricane went from category 1 to 4 in an hours time
OkSkylar
As someone who works in a nursing facility, it was neglect the second that water started coming under the door. You take on responsibility
OkSkylar
for human life, you don't get to wash your hands of it when it becomes known that you're incompetent.
HoneyBunchesOfStoats
As someone who will probably end up in a nursing home, and who has family currently in them, thank you for caring
LinearAlgebro
wtf you want them to do once water starts coming under the door? Leave in a flood?
sombrerohorsewagon
This could just be from the rain bands and not the actual hurricane. 20 inches of rain in some places...
nolanurse
After a nursing home didn't evacuate during Katrina and all the residents drowned, these owners know better. (Those owners were jailed).
JARKB
As they should have been.
HTButterBunsofSteel
The article stated they were told not to evacuate, and the building had never flooded previously. Yeah, whoever said to stay needs a smack.
Dsharppe
Nope, only in the USA. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/20649744/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/katrina-nursing-home-owners-acquitted/#.WaNCvsaQyig
nolanurse
Yeah. Only jailed for arrest then acquitted after trial. Guess I mentally blocked that part out. Too many bad memories from Katrina.
JustMe042002
Right!
toffeeonion
Sounds like they were planning to but the authorities told them not to cause they had never flooded before
YesButAlsoYes
Seems like they should have brought back waterboarding for that one
WhiteWeaselMLAS
Forget jailed, they need extra crispy for their special kind of evil.
IllegalDuckling
The saddest part is.. I wouldn't really expect better by nursing homes.
SerialChillinSpree
Right, if people only understood about the not so scrupulous ones which are pervasive then this might not be so surprising.
BlueSoxSWJ2
In 2005, 107 of the 120 deaths from cat-5 Rita were from the evacuation of Houston. Not a simple call without hindsight.
karimonsterbitches
THIS. Including a bus full of elderly people from a home who were evacuated and died en route to DFW in the traffic.
Gynr
What about the Families? They also left them for dead.
nolanurse
The nursing home said they were evacuating them via ambulances. So all the families believed their family members were safe.
DrakeRamorayMD
Katrin wasn't projected to hit where it did turned into a Cat5 out of the blue. Bad circumstance but they should have been prepared
bimbiddybom
As a Floridian, we are ALWAYS prepared! Even here in Indiana, I am always prepared for anything that might happen, before there is a notice.
bimbiddybom
Turned back around if it didn't become a cat 3+. After Katrina hit, people should have been prepared right after that happened.
bimbiddybom
We always had an evacuation route planned even if it was a tropical storm and we always took a "road trip" before it hit.
DrakeRamorayMD
That's why the body count was so high. Nobody had time to prepare for a 28 foot surge. I live 3 miles from any source of water and I flooded
MossyBadger
It was a category 3. Just hit the right spot. Wind speed and rainfall have nothing to do with each other.
DrakeRamorayMD
It was a cat5 right off the coast. That's why we had a 28 foot water surge in Pass Christian. Unimaginable
SonOfTheSharpie
Wanted to upvote, but Hail the 666
MrsZbornak
omg. WTF? those poor people.
eroso
And the owners were acquitted of charges, not jailed. If that's not prison-worthy neglect then I don't know what is.
OriginalNameDoNotSteal
That is the saddest thing I think I ever heard...they were abandoned by people they trusted, ending long lives in a horrific way.
adelaideannie
I think there was more to it. Some patients for various reasons could not be moved. (?)....1/
adelaideannie
Owners may have saved their own hides while abandoning patients AND dedicated staff who...2/
adelaideannie
stayed behind with patients and tried to float them out to safety on mattresses. Several drowned.
CPatricoo
No evacuation notice was given for Houston. It will be a complicated legal issue.
SomethingInTheseHills
Not that I know anything official, but based on what I heard from a coworker from Houston, people were told to evacuate a week ago
CPatricoo
http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/27/us/houston-evacuation-hurricane-harvey/index.html
SomethingInTheseHills
Oh interesting. Maybe I heard incorrectly, that's crazy.
CPatricoo
Certain areas or counties evacuated Im sure. Its pretty dense.
Ellimem
What? Really? Is everyone living there fucking retarded, and the local government even worse off?
BigFatJuicyMonkies
It's not bad everywhere in Houston... My place looks exactly the same as any other stormy day.
SerialChillinSpree
Yeah, but you guys are supposed to get 5' ft (60in) of rain. That's a fuckton in metric based units. Can the city cope with that?
porsche12345
The problem is 6.6 million people live in Houston. And the storm turned from a cat 1 to a cat 4 in two days. Can't get that many people 1/
porsche12345
Out In time with out trying the entire place into a shit show 2/2
AGracefulCombover
Last time the area was evacuated, there were a ton of fatalities just from the gridlock that resulted.
adelaideannie
Damned if you do and damned if you don't.
Sarrrrrr
Last time, 100+ ppl died during the evacuation due to dehydration & wrecks. Which is far more than the Hurricane would have ever claimed. 1/
Sarrrrrr
The smart decision was to not evacuate the whole city. Plus, no one truly knew how the storm would hit unless post-landfall.
CPatricoo
Its the nations 4th largest city. They were worried about creating a highway nightmare and getting people stranded.
Ellimem
But like, it was known it was going to smash all of Southeastern Texas on Monday, Tuesday they knew it was going to be insanity.
Ellimem
You have enough time to get out those worse off, as well as most of the others.
AgDrumma07
That's what we did. Evacuated the coastal people first.
Sarrrrrr
Last evacuation, it took 12+ hours to travel from Houston to Conroe. Normally would take just over an hour.
undrdgrandy
Historically this area never flooded even in previous storms. Once flooding started, water came too fast, safest thing to shelter in place.
AStrongFemaleCharacter
That's hard to believe considering it's a block away from a bayou.
scruffymarcher
I grew up in dickinson and can tell you that it's literally never flooded that bad. Ike, Katrina or Allison never brought that much water
AStrongFemaleCharacter
Well, Katrina didn't come our way. I think you mean Rita.
scruffymarcher
Eh prolly. There was an 8 year period that was kind of a blur lol