Think Twice Before Sending Your Elders Off To This Place

We may never know what came first – the chicken or the egg – but when it comes to senior assisted living housing, it’s pretty obvious that the assisted living license should come before the opening of the assisted living home.  Furthermore, a senior residence posing as an assisted living home probably shouldn’t hold its tenants hostage and prevent relatives from visiting. Finally, if said senior residence is located on one of the most desirable corners in the Slope, the rest of us are going to find out about the scam and be really, really pissed off.

According to the Daily News, relatives of “Kung Fu Judge” John Phillips claim that the Prospect Park Residence falsely identified itself as an assisted living residence, and held the aging judge hostage in the facility. While the residence claims it was merely Judge Phillips’ landlord, it seems clear that the management led the family to believe it was more than that. The facility’s website boasts its 24/7 support and medical care, as well as full-service hospitality. Judge Phillips died in 2008, and his family is suing the residence for wrongful death. They claim that the facility neglected to provide a diabetic menu and administer insulin, which may have contributed to his death. In addition, the family alleges that Judge Phillips was held hostage inside his apartment, and the building staff prevented relatives from visiting him.

Obviously I don’t know all the details of this case, but it seems like a pretty crappy situation all around. The Prospect Park Residence is still working on getting its assisted living license 4 years after Judge Phillips died. Shouldn’t they have achieved that status before taking in residents? Considering that this is a place that’s always seemed sort of idyllic to me, it’s pretty upsetting to hear that there’s some foul play going on. This really calls into question some basic conceptions of the place that I’m sure many prospective residents take for granted. Families must be thorough in their research before signing up their loved ones for a stay there. Just because it has easy access to excellent produce on Saturdays doesn’t mean it’s going to provide the care our elders need.