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Over 20 people responsed and I want to thank everyone for your input.
Here
is the summary:

*  contact JACHO (Joint Commission of Accreditation of Health Care
Organizations); it approves facilities caring for older people.

*  donate & support the University of Maryland's efforts to spread the
word
about celiac disease in order to better inform health care providers.

*  contact celiac groups to see if they will work with organizations
like
Meals on Wheels and educate them about elderly folks & their need for gf
meals.

*  contact a local celiac organization for help.

*  contact a long term care ombudsman.  Every state is required to have
one.  "Their sole purpose is to investigate and help to resolve
complaints on behalf of nursing home residents.  Can be contacted
through your state office of aging.  (My question:  since my mother was
only recovering from a broken hip and her stay was temporary, I don't
know if this would have qualified as a valid complaint to this office.)

*  order gf frozen meals from a company like Dietary Specialities.  (a
good idea, but the care center my mother was in had all their meals
prepared at another site and brought to their facility.)

*  rent a refrigerator and stock it with gf food.  (This is what we
did.)

*  take the matter to court.

*  from a doctor:  "The nursing home environment is difficult.
Administration is very concerned and responsive.  The Director of
nurses, and the Dietitian are knowledgable and try very hard to assure
that the patient gets no gluten.  Unfortunately, most of the actual work
in any nursing home is done by lower level personnel, many of whom could
make more money at McDonalds, and have a shaky high school education.
They mean well, but forget or don't understand.  .  .Kitchen help often
seem to think the wheat exclusion just means they have to put white
bread on the tray instead of whole wheat!  It is enough to make one want
to cry."

*  from a gerontologist:  "I am still amazed at the lack of concern and
respect that older people receive (in this country).  It is appalling to
think that a long term care facility cannot accommodate your mother's
dietary restrictions.  They are required by law to provide dietary
services; technically they are putting your mother in grave danger.  .
.At a minimum I would bet that this situation is a violation of
licensing requirements in terms of dietary services and the facility
could (and should) be cited for this."

Hopefully we won't need to seek out this type of care again, but when
our parents age we never know.  Thanks to all of you, I now have the
type of information needed to ensure that this won't happen again.