Tsali Care on the Watch List

If there's any demographic the tribe needs to particularly protect, its the tribe's most vulnerable - the children and the elderly. After employing a sex offender, a council member's brother nonetheless, in the Dora Reed Child Care Center and other areas where the tribal leadership has shown a lack of interest in youth programs, it's clear that the tribal leadership has failed in that area.
Given the continued downturn in health care quality, it appears that the elderly in our tribe are also not a priority.
But this is unbelievable. Tsali Care Center, which has been tribally operated in recent years falling under the tribe's Health and Medical division, has made a national nursing home watch list. Memberofthefamily.net, for which Dr. Edward C. Watters, III, coauthor of "Danger Zone," a book featured on the "Today" show which details secrets of the nursing home industry, is an advocate, rates Tsali Care Center as having potential for more than minimal harm and actual harm and immediate jeopardy. Some of the noted violations are for ensuring that residents are properly nourished, providing care in a way that renders dignity and respect, having drugs and similar products needed in everyday emergencies, ensuring the center is free of potential accidents and developing care plans that meet all of the residents' needs with a measurable time table.
Tsali Care Center has had its problems since its inception, but this takes the cake. Something had to be up with tribal upper management, including Deputy of Health and Medical Susan Leadingfox and Principal Chief Michell Hicks, when it decided what's acceptable for the residents of Tsali Care Center to read (for example banning the Cherokee Times from the center). This latest incident demonstrates a complete lack of respect for the residents of Tsali Care Center. Many of these residents fought for the tribe and country going back as far as World War II. They deserve better than this, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the chief, Leadingfox, or anyone on Tribal Council to do anything meaningful about it.