Every long-term facility in Iowa turns away severely ill patient [View all]

No nursing home or hospice facility in Iowa has been willing to accept Randy Sedrel as a patient.

His family says the 60-year-old Oskaloosa man, who has a rare neurological disease, was a gentle and caring man before his diagnosis five years ago.

Now, as the disease tightens its grip on him, his confusion and fear meld into frustrations that result in frequent scuffles with caregivers, including choking, slapping and kicking.

Because of that behavior and his relatively youthful age in comparison with most long-term care patients, an estimated 170 care facilities — including Iowa’s two remaining mental health institutes — have turned him away.

Read more: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/investigations/2016/08/15/every-long-term-facility-iowa-turns-away-severely-ill-patient/87998106/