OROVILLE, CALIFORNIA - The family of an elderly man who lived at an Oroville nursing home was told he needed to move out, his son and daughter said. Gordon Stout, a 79-year-old retired teacher, had lived in the dementia unit of Olive Ridge Care Center for more than a year.

The family said it was a manageable arrangement because the family was able to take his husband, who is 83, to visit him three or four times a week. But now that he has been moved to a nursing home in Novato, in th Bay Area, frequent visits are no longer possible.

The family was told by Olive Ridge staff that the dementia unit was being closed to make room for patients who were discharged from acute-care hospitals and needed to convalesce.

It appeared perhaps 30 of approximately 40 people who lived in the dementia unit had been moved out recently.

California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform said nursing home residents have a right to live where they are living. Wanting to make room for another class of residents did not appear to be a valid reason for moving people out, according to the organization.

A spokesman for the state Department of Public Health said if Olive Ridge was closing its dementia unit, it would have had to obtain permission from the state. It appears, however, that the nursing home is only phasing out the unit, and that doesn’t require approval from the department.

The family plans to file a complaint with the Department of Public Health.

If you have any questions regarding the transfer of an elderly loved one who was a resident at a California nursing home or other type of elder care facility, call Berman & Riedel, LLP today at (858) 350-8855. Our staff will happily provide you and your family with an initial free consultation to discuss with you any questions or concerns you may have. To learn more about the firm, visit www.preventelderabuse.com.