Adam Jacobs doesn't know all the details about the events that led to his mother's death Sept. 10, but he'd sure like to find out.
So, shortly after Charmaine Jacobs passed away from sepsis, the younger Jacobs began searching for answers.
The 63-year-old had lived at the Glenshire Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Richton Park, and in early October, Adam Jacobs asked the nursing home for his mother's medical records.
He was told he could get them, but it would cost him 25 cents a page, he said.
"Then I was told if my dad requests the medical records, he would get them for free since he's the spouse," Adam Jacobs said.
Because his dad was living at the Glenshire nursing home at the time, Jacobs went to his dad's room and had him sign the paperwork. He submitted the request that day.
But getting the nursing home to release the records proved difficult.
Weeks turned into months, and Jacobs became increasingly frustrated.
"I have left several messages for the woman who works in records to call me regarding my mom's records; she never returned any of my calls," he said.
On Dec. 10, Jacobs removed his dad from Glenshire and placed him in a supportive living facility nearby.
When Jacobs returned to Glenshire on Dec. 11 to pick up his dad's belongings, he spoke with a woman from the records department who told him his mother's file would be sent Dec. 14, he said.
Once again, the records did not arrive.
By early January, Jacobs was more than a little irritated. He gave up calling Glenshire and composed an email to What's Your Problem?
Jacobs said his mother's death was a shock and he wanted to know as much as possible about the events that preceded it.
"I just want to know how my mom was cared for," he said.
The Problem Solver called the nursing home and left a message Jan. 7, then left another, more detailed message Wednesday, outlining Jacobs' complaint.
That afternoon, a representative from Glenshire called Jacobs and asked for his father's new address.
Matt Carlson, administrator at Glenshire, told the Problem Solver the nursing home wasn't sure where to send the file.
"We needed to get the address where the father was," Carlson said. "I think our records person had a bad number for the son."
Jacobs said his mother's medical records arrived Friday.
He said he's happy to have the file but remains befuddled by the nursing home's response.
"They had (my father's) address," he said. "I don't understand what their reluctance was."
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