[StBernard] Louisiana nursing home case puts Katrina response on trial

[Westley Annis]

My own experiences with the Mangano's, as well as those of my mom's were
less than pleasant.

My grandfather was placed at St. Rita's under a VA contract; i.e. VA paid
all expenses.  The VA contracts paid them more than they received under the
state Medicaid program, yet the Manganos were constantly trying to file for
payments under his Medicare and supplemental insurances.  They hated the
fact that they were "visited" regularly by the VA social workers to check on
my grand-dad and the social workers usually had some questions for Mabel.
She also wasn't thrilled with the fact that Mom or I would make unannounced
visits to check on "Mr. Bob."  

Mabel was constantly saying she'd never take another VA contract patient,
yet when my grand-dad had to be moved to a skilled facility she was trying
to argue with VA that St. Rita's could handle skilled care.  However, if
that had been the case, he would not have developed the decubitis bedsore
that he did develop.

Jim





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	Louisiana nursing home case puts Katrina response on trial 
	
	By Laura Parker, USA TODAY
	When Sal and Mabel Mangano were arrested after 35 people drowned in
their
	nursing home in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, they became vivid
symbols of
	the inept preparation and response to the disaster. St. Rita's
Nursing Home
	was a signature scene of the horror that followed Katrina, and the
Manganos'
	decision not to evacuate the home as floodwaters rose in the New
Orleans
	area outraged residents there.
	Now, with the Manganos' criminal trial scheduled to begin Monday,
the case
	has grown from a narrowly drawn inquiry about negligent homicide
into a
	melodrama writ large about virtually everyone who had a hand in
botching the
	official response to Katrina nearly two years ago.
	
	The list of potential culprits in that scenario brims with prominent
names.
	The Manganos' defense attorneys - seeking to deflect blame for the
deaths at
	St. Rita's - will be allowed to call many of them as witnesses,
starting
	with Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco.
	
	
	
	

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