NO COUNTRY FOR OLD PEOPLE - A NURSING HOME EXPOSÉ

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Susie Singer Carter and 2 others are organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Lori Smetanka, Consumer Voice.

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NO COUNTRY FOR OLD PEOPLE is a documentary film that everyone needs to see...

Nursing homes. Most of us don't know what really goes on inside many of these places. We avoid them at all costs. Why? Because they depress us. Because they smell like urine and the lighting is harsh and, like the residents, the food is gray. Because we wouldn't want to live like that. So, we look away.

We'd rather not know that the system designed to care for our most vulnerable prioritizes profit over people and is fueled by corporate greed. Or that the system strips people of their human rights and dignity. Or that the system has allowed neglect and abuse to become the standard and view people in need as commodities. It's ageism. No one wants to talk about nursing homes. It’s not sexy. I get it. Until our own loved one is in the long-term care machine. But, by then, it's too late.

Our Nursing Home healthcare system is broken. We are in a full-blown systemic crisis that has been causing insufferable consequences for our most vulnerable… in particular, our elderly… for DECADES.

My name is Susie Singer Carter. I am an award-winning filmmaker. I am also a mother, a sister, a friend, and a daughter of a dynamic, amazing woman named Norma. I only recently learned about this crisis while attempting to acquire adequate care for my 89-year-old mother, who was enduring a list of egregious repercussions of the system while the nursing home manipulated the system to avoid accountability.

The story begins when my mother, who was living in a 5-Star Nursing Facility in Los Angeles, was rushed to the ER and admitted into the hospital for sepsis, pneumonia, dehydration, 10% kidney function, and a UTI, which were all the result of a stage IV bedsore. Bedsores are never events and the hallmark of neglect and abuse. A “never event” is defined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) as a non-reimbursable serious facility-acquired condition.

For six months, I felt as if I was playing whack-a-mole. My mother was being shuttled between hospitals, the nursing home, acute skilled nursing, and hospice. She was intubated three times, despite a “do not intubate” directive, denied treatment for her worsening pressure ulcer (bed sore), remained unnecessarily on an enteral feeding tube and internal catheter, was denied food, liquids, and even short visits outdoors. Instead, she was given too many psychotropic drugs and kept in bed inside a small, often hot, room. In a 5-star Facility. In Los Angeles.

I had always taken solace in believing my mother was receiving the very best care possible. After all, she was in the best facility. A place that boasted a three-year waiting list. Unfortunately, the “best” turned out to be the worst which I have since discovered is the standard in most Nursing Homes. Not all Nursing Homes. That said, 70% of the homes are for-profit and are notorious offenders.

My mother's sheer will and love of life kept her alive for 6 months devoid of any quality of life. I fought on the front lines of this systemic catastrophe daily, but despite my relentless advocating, my mother suffered and died from what was inarguably egregious nursing home neglect and abuse. We were robbed of the precious time she had left. It’s horrifying to think about what happens to residents without advocates.

At the core of this documentary is a love story. And that story is the driving force behind a classic Hero’s Journey where I find myself battling in a world that is completely foreign to me (the healthcare system) for months while facing one of my darkest fears – my mother’s death. A mentor appears. A recently retired, badass United States Attorney and award-winning federal and state prosecutor. The one who took down Purdue Pharma for fraudulently marketing OxyContin and was portrayed by actor, Peter Sarsgaard, in the Emmy-nominated Hulu series, DOPESICK. Rick Mountcastle also investigated and prosecuted nursing homes for fraud and abuse for 25 years - but never saw any significant change.

Whenever someone asked Rick how we can affect real change, he had no answer. Now, he believes this documentary is the key. Together, this disparate duo, armed with our unique skills, are determined to wake up the collective conscience. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD PEOPLE will provide the public with critical information about the nursing home industry in a personal, emotional, and eye-opening way, and will embolden them to demand that legislators, policymakers, and regulators change our system into one that prioritizes taking care of people. Not their pockets.

As it often happens, I stumbled into what has become the engine of this film. At the urging of my partner, Rick, I began chronicling the last six months of my mother’s life beginning January 17th, 2022, and poetically ending July 17th, 2022.

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD PEOPLE will unravel the web running the nursing home system to unveil the unfailing impact of nursing home understaffing, the significant role of public financing and politics, the financial incentives that drive how nursing homes provide care, the tools available to the government to regulate how care is provided, legislative and government proposals to improve transparency, accountability, and care. The film will also spotlight the ways that the system can be repaired. Vital information that impacts every single person’s quality of life.

AGEISM IS A PREJUDICE AGAINST OUR FUTURE SELF.

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD PEOPLE is a cautionary tale poised to grab the public by the heart and invoke a revolution for change. A collective movement that will shame the powers that be into doing the right thing. We’re endeavoring to create a cultural shift by engaging the public in a conversation about how our society cares (or doesn’t) for our most vulnerable citizens – those who need around-the-clock care. Care that is promised by long-term care facilities and nursing homes.

The collective conscience needs a refresher course on humanity. The public needs - deserves - to know the truth. Because the pandemic has brought these long-standing deficiencies and systemic vulnerabilities into the zeitgeist, there’s never been a better time for a documentary like NO COUNTRY FOR OLD PEOPLE...

Because although this is my mother's story, it's really everyone's.

To date, we have raised close to $60,000 which made it possible for us to complete over 70 powerful interviews with the most esteemed experts, journalists, organizations, and other caregivers and victims of the system that will undoubtedly impact the way the public views our Nursing Home/Long Term Care system.

We are now seeking at least $100,000 to complete editing and all aspects of post-production, as well as distribution. We have partnered with the NATIONAL CONSUMER VOICE FOR QUALITY LONG TERM CARE the leading national voice representing consumers in issues related to long-term care, helping to ensure that consumers are empowered to advocate for themselves. NVC is our fiscal sponsor which provides us with a 501 C3 status making all donations tax deductible.

The following are available sponsorships-but all donations are greatly appreciated.

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD PEOPLE SPONSORSHIP LEVELS

FAN SPONSOR: $499 and under

· Your company or individual name will be listed in the "Very Special Thanks To" or "Special Dedication To" in the film credits at the end of the film.

· You and a guest will be invited to attend a local red-carpet screening of the world premiere.

CREW SPONSOR: $500

· Your company or individual name will be listed in the "Very Special Thanks To" or "Special Dedication To" in the film credits at the end of the film.

· Your company logo or photo and information will be listed with your link on the sponsor page of our website.

· You and a guest will be invited to attend a local red-carpet screening of the world premiere.

PARTNER SPONSOR: $1,000