No patient should EVER be alone!

My 22-year-old son was neglected, abused and left untreated ultimately taking his life while being hospitalized during COVID-19 with visitation restrictions they did not allow me to be there, violating my son's patient, human and disability rights under Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act, the Affordable Care Act, and the Arizonans with Disabilities Act. Request is consistent with recent guidance from the offices of the U.S. Department of Health Office for Civil Rights and the Arizona Department of Health Services for healthcare facilities to provide reasonable modifications for patients with disabilities to ensure equal access to medical treatment. 

ADHS has received information that indicates some hospitals or systems are restricting visitation to patients that may be inappropriate and may include:

• Restriction of caregivers to individuals that are protected by the Americans with Disability Act (ADA).

ADHS reminds hospitals that they have a legal duty to ensure that all visitor policies are in compliance with state and federal law including the ADA shall revise current visitor policies to allow caregivers reasonable visitation with individuals who have physical, mental, and/or emotional disabilities. Hospitals have a legal obligation to develop appropriate policies and procedures to address any gaps that may conflict with the ADA.

I believe this was 100% preventable if they would have abided by the law and allowed me to be there as his support person when he needed me the most due to a disability and protect him as his mother/legal duty as medical POA.

I am creating awareness to what is really going on inside the hospitals not complying with the laws that were already in place- no human being should ever have to suffer or experience what my son went through.