Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital BEWARE, BE VIGILANT IF A LOVED ONE IS ADMITTED TO SANTA BARBARA COTTAGE HOSPITAL Santa Barbara California

If you have a family member with any kind of vulnerability, a drug problem or in rehab, step in right away and stay in contact with them, and be an active advocate for their care.  My brother was admitted to Cottage Hospital for heart failure, and was in Intensive Care for 10 days when a doctor ordered a "Do Not Resuscitate (DNR)" and removal of all life support without any family notification or attempt to locate his family.  My 50-year-old brother was in rehab trying to get his life together and evidently the doctor determined his life was not worth saving, nor did he need to locate his family prior to making a decision to let him die.  Cottage did not follow their own policies of notifying the patient or family (or a surrogate) prior to making the decision to remove life support.  He had an adult son and grandchildren, a sister and 2 brothers, yet none of us were notified he was in the hospital.  This was strictly one doctor's order to end a life after 10 days of care -- and there was no record of a case worker being assigned to help locate his family. 

When I found out a year later on the "Internet" that my brother had died at Cottage, I was grief stricken and obtained his records.  I immediately called the police to locate his adult son to see if he had been notified, which he had not.  It took the police approx. 15 minutes to locate his son out of state, but yet the hospital could not find his family or assign a case worker to locate us.  Not wanting to make an issue of this or file a lawsuit, I filed a complaint with the State of California, Department of Public Health.  It took them 2 years before they started an investigation.  After it was completed, the investigator found that Cottage violated their own policies by not informing the family or documenting anything concerning efforts to notify the family.  They assured me this complaint would become public record, which would have given me some closure.  But, no, they did not post the complaint on their website and I was informed that if anyone wanted to see the complaint they must notify their department and request it.  But why would anyone request to see the complaint when they are not aware that one exists?  The only complaint listed on their website is the highly publicized baby abduction from Cottage Hospital several years ago.  So be warned, if you have someone who may be vulnerable, keep in contact, prepare a Healthcare Directive, and if they are in the hospital watch them day and night, and be an active advocate for their care to make sure their rights (and life) are protected.  My brother's civil rights, as well as his life, ended after he was admitted to Cottage Hospital and he had no family there to protect him and be an advocate for his care.