THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 6, 1995 TAG: 9512060541
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DEBRA GORDON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines
A Washington-based labor union has opened a national hot line for family members, employees and residents of Vencor's Hillhaven nursing homes to report complaints about care.
The Service Employees International Union, which represents 3,000 Hillhaven employees around the country, is sponsoring the hot line. Callers can share their concerns about the quality of the Hillhaven homes, said project director Arvid Muller. They will be referred to state agencies that handle nursing home complaints.
Vencor's Hillhaven is the second-largest nursing home chain in the country. It owns four nursing homes in Hampton Roads, none of which has been organized by the Service Employees union.
A spokeswoman for the corporation called the hot line an attempt by the union to ``harm the company's national reputation,'' as part of its efforts to unionize Hillhaven homes in California.
``There is no need for it,'' said spokeswoman Jennifer Nelson. Hillhaven encourages family members and residents to contact administrators at individual homes if problems arise, Nelson said. If that doesn't work, she said, Hillhaven has its own national hot line, linking residents and family members to top management in the company's Tacoma, Wash., headquarters.
But Muller said in the week the hot line has been operating, several callers reported that when they complained to the company, they ``hadn't gotten satisfactory responses.''
``Hopefully, by providing an independent source to bring to light these problems, we can encourage Hillhaven to do the right thing,'' he said.
The union will also publish a newsletter for callers. It will include information about the issues coming in over the hot line and information about nursing-home residents' rights.
Hillhaven's homes in Hampton Roads - two in Virginia Beach, one in Norfolk and one in Suffolk - have generally fared well during recent state inspections, with few or no state or federal violations noted on the most recent Health Department inspections available. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
The Hillhaven & Family Advocates Network hot line, operated by
the Service Employees International Union, is (800) 777-7671.
Vencor's Hillhaven has its own toll-free number to company
headquarters: (800) 222-3470.
Anyone with complaints or concerns about any Virginia nursing
home can call the Virginia Department for the Aging at (800)
552-3402, or the Department of Health, at (804) 367-2100.
by CNB