97-Year-Old Retiree Evicted From Nursing Home Because He Played Ukulele Too Much

A 97-year-old former Merchant Marine evicted from nursing home facility where he resided for playing the ukulele too much.

Fortunately, after learning that the elderly gentleman ended up in a homeless shelter, the community banded together to finance a new apartment in a different retirement community for him.

Jim Farrell, the senior citizen who loves the ukulele, said he never saw eye-to-eye with management at the Redwood Retirement Home in Napa, CA.

“Management continually suppressed my talents,” Farrell told reporters in an interview about the nursing home incident. “Management would stop me and say these words: ‘Go back to your room!’ Like a kid. No more.”

Farrell ended up at a homeless shelter in Napa, and when locals found out about his situation, they began donating money to help the ukulele fan. With their contributions, Farrell was able to move to Piner’s Nursing Home in Napa on July 18th.

Farrell’s caretaker at the nursing home, Carol Eldridge, was enraged when she found out that her ward had been evicted from nursing home facility for being a noise nuisance.

“You just don’t put a 97-year-old on the street,” she said. “Here’s this frail man and he’s got his head held up high going in the doors of this shelter and knowing that this is not the place I ever expected him to ever be.”

The nursing home, however, insisted that Farrell left of his own volition, although the facility asked him to leave because of his “aggressive behavior” toward other residents, as well as the “condition of his unit.”

“Mr. Farrell was unable to abide by the rules of the community. We took this action so our residents at Redwood Retirement could continue to live in a safe, healthy and comfortable environment they call home,” said the statement.

3 Actions to Take Against Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing home abuse and neglect cases can be difficult to establish because of an widespread tendency by insurance adjusters, physicians, among others, to discount an elderly person’s injuries and the diminished quality of life that results from these damages.

There are many ways in which nursing homes can be held responsible for injuring others as a result of their negligence, abuse, exploitation, false imprisonment, or violations of criminal statutes, as well as violations of regulations pertaining to their licensing, maintenance, and general operation.

An act of abuse, neglect or exploitation of an older person might give rise to one or all of the following types of proceedings:

• an investigation and finding by an adult protective services agency or the regulatory agency for nursing homes (in South Carolina it is the Department of Environmental Control);
• a civil cause of action for damages; and/or
• a criminal prosecution.

These three types of proceedings have different objectives: the objective of a protective services investigation is to provide immediate help and relief to the victim and prevent further harm; the civil action is to seek compensation for damages; and the criminal prosecution is when the state seeks to punish the harmful conduct.

Under South Carolina law, physical abuse includes: slapping, hitting, kicking, biting, choking, pinching, burning, drugging a patient or confining a patient to control behavior. SEC. 43-35-10 A person does not have to inflict abuse to be held responsible for the physical abuse. One is culpable by allowing it to take place without doing anything to stop or prevent the abuse.

The Strom Law Firm Can Help Victims of Nursing Home Abuse

If your loved one has faced nursing home abuse, you do not have to suffer in silence. Contact the attorneys at the Strom Law Firm for a free, confidential consultation. We are here to help. 803.252.4800.