Fabricated Seizures and Elder Abuse

A member of Dr. Flege's family had long been obsessed with separating Dr. Flege and his wife and admitting them to nursing homes. The perpetrator sought and succeeded in obtaining multiple admissions for Dr. Flege to hospitals and other facilities with the goal of nursing home placement at discharge. Fabrication of seizures included misreporting and presentation of misleading cell phone video to physicians. This resulted in the prescribing of drugs that are known to increase the fall risk in the elderly. Dr. Flege did not tolerate these drugs well. He became confused and started to fall several times a day. (The prescribing neurologist and Dr. Flege's PCP were well aware that Dr. Flege was falling at home.) In a matter of months, he suffered his first hip fracture, during an admission to a rehab facility for yet another disorder fabricated by the perpetrator. This rehab admission was preceded by a 4 day admission to University of Cincinnati Medical Center requested by the perpetrator of one of Dr. Flege colleagues after Dr. Flege's PCP reportedly denied the request. The purpose of the hospital admission was understood to be to force Medicare to pay for an admission to an inpatient rehabilitation facility, Marjorie P. Lee. Within 24 hours of arrival at the rehab facility, doped up, Dr. Flege fell and broke his hip...for the first time in 10 months. He made an immediate self diagnosis but he couldn't summon anyone to help him. On the floor, he managed to pull out his iPhone and call a family member 2,500 miles away to arrange immediate assistance and to contact his surgeon of choice. Against the odds, Dr. Flege recovered from his first hip fracture and operation (The Christ Hospital), returned to the scene of the crime for legitimate rehab and then returned home, after a failed attempt by the perpetrator to admit him to a nursing home. In the following months, the perpetrator tried to convince Dr. Flege and his caretakers to restart the anti epileptic drugs that had been discontinued by Dr. Flege's physicians. Soon thereafter, the perpetrator phoned a physician "friend" (Note: Dr. Flege's PCP is available to him 24/7.) and reported a fictitious seizure. Dr. Flege had 24/7 private duty at all times, especially vigilant in the presence of the perpetrator whom they did not trust. Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSbP) is classically described as a form of child abuse. But the victim can be any person under the care of another person, including the elderly and the disabled. Seizures are a favorite of such abusers. Several physicians and other healthcare personnel were involved in this scenario. They didn't recognize the ruse? They chose to ignore it? Why weren't witnesses questioned? "Seizures are especially vulnerable to fabrication for various reasons. They are fairly common (therefore evoke a high level of public awareness and sympathy), often discussed as part of the differential diagnosis of less serious conditions (high levels of suggestibility), perceived as medically serious and urgent (therefore “appropriate” for an acute presentation), frequently run a chronic, relapsing, and remitting course, and the physician is almost entirely dependent on history to make the diagnosis. There is no test which can absolutely refute the diagnosis." http://adc.bmj.com/content/86/4/230 This friend of the perpetrator arranged yet another multi day admission to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The perpetrator sought placement on an epilepsy monitoring unit and this was granted. Apparently, no one questioned the caregiver who saw nothing out of the ordinary. Dr. Flege suffered for several days in a monitored bed. [photo] The studies were negative. This is very expensive care. It was unnecessary. Dr. Flege returned home worse off. He needed more help with his activities and abuse escalated. Has the perpetrator been able to continually manipulate the system because Dr. Flege has been a generous financial donor to the University of Cincinnati, his alma mater? Is the institution cooperating with the perpetrator's abuse of Dr. Flege knowing that the perpetrator is in a position to exert control over Dr. Flege's finances? Dr. Flege gave his extraordinary talent and beautiful soul to this institution. In his time of need, they have failed him.