Did Lack Of Training Lead To A "Preventable Death" In A Colorado Assisted Living Facility?
According to a December 12, 2009, online article by Jeffrey Wolf and Kevin Torres of Colorado's 9news.com, 87 year old Eldon Foster "strayed away" from his assisted living facility in the freezing temperatures and, ultimately died of exposure. What is shocking is that Mr. Foster was found by an employee of the facility and returned to his bed; he did not die in the outdoors.
The circumstances of Mr. Foster's death are, indeed, tragic. Mr. Foster had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. According to the article, Mr. Foster wandered away from the facility, wearing only a T-shirt and his underwear,at around 2:30 a.m.; the temperature outside was 3 degrees Fahrenheit. The aide found him Mr. Foster lying on the sidewalk "about 15 feet from the door" with a cut on his head. Instead of calling 911, however, she simply assisted Mr. Foster back to his bed. The aide checked on Mr. Foster again after about an hour; he was unresponsive. Only then did the aide call 911.
Although the owners of the assisted living facility say this was a tragic "accident that could have been prevented," because of the facility's policies, what is more telling is the fact that the aide had worked for the facility "on and off for nine years." This fact leads me to believe the aide was simply not properly trained to perform her job. If the facility had properly trained her, there would have been no doubt in the aide's mind about what needed to be done when she found Mr. Foster. I am sure the assisted living facility, no doubt, conducted a training session immediately after this tragedy. Unfortunately, for Mr. Foster and his family, that training came too late.
If you or a family member is a resident of an assisted living facility or nursing home, be sure to ask about the training staff receives concerning the facility's policies and procedures. This not-so-gentle reminder may lead to proper training of the staff and, ultimately, save a life.
