Elderly woman found dead outside assisted living center sparks investigation

sanja said on December 21, 2009 at 1:31 PM

I worked at this facility for 5 years, and the staff there is wonderful to their residents. Residents are #1 priority there. I am 100% sure that this was not neglect. Staff of Wesley Homes truly cares and loves their residents.

kellyailodell said on December 15, 2009 at 10:47 AM

FAMILY STATEMENT: "My mother, Helen Jensen's passing was a terrible tragedy that could and should have been avoided. The facility knew she presented a risk of leaving that day and assured us they had the situation under control. As a family, we are just trying to deal with the loss and get answers as to how something like this could happen."

kellyailodell said on December 15, 2009 at 10:45 AM

FAMILY STATEMENT: "My mother, Helen Jensen's passing was a terrible tragedy that could and should have been avoided. The facility knew she presented a risk of leaving that day and assured us they had the situation under control. As a family, we are just trying to deal with the loss and get answers as to how something like this could happen." -- Phyllis Odell

pegmck said on December 14, 2009 at 10:49 AM

I took my Mother out of Wesley after one week. I wasn't pleased about the way she was treated. She is wheelchair bound. Some of the nurses were great and some were rude and abusive. I came in one day to find her not cleaned up after having had diarrhea. I had to clean her up myself. Another time I came in and my mother crying. She said that the aide was mad at her for calling for help. My Mother had interrupted the aide's meal time. One night it took staff over 45 minutes to respond with a pain pill. They often put her into hospital gowns and pampers instead of her own clothes. There wasn't any reason for this. Nurses were not well trained in changing suprapubic catheters, causing my Mother pain. If you have an elderly person you have to put in one these places, keep in mind that possibly their regular doctor doesn't have jurisdiction over them anymore. Nor does the homecare nurses. You are stuck with what the Nursing Care Home provides!

mistaroni said on December 11, 2009 at 2:29 PM

My Grandma is a resident at this facililty and I can tell you that these people take GREAT care and interest in their patients. The doors ARE locked at 8pm, but as far as I know, they are only locked to incoming visitors who then have the call on a special phone to be let in. I believe that you can leave at free will. I do wonder how she was going to get back in once she went out though if no one saw. This is a terrible tragedy, and I am sure that the staff at Wesley Homes will do everything in their power to prevent this from happening again. Everyone I have dealt with in this facility has been warm and kind, and very very gentle with their patients. They treat them like they are family and I am sure that they are all burdened with sadness over this event. My grandma is 96 and I am fiercely protective of her. If I even smelled a whiff of anything unsavory going on there I would yank her out within minutes. My sincere hearltfelt condolences to Helen's family...I wish you peace

ohmygoodness said on December 11, 2009 at 7:31 AM

Working LTC for nearly 20 years as a nurse myself, every facility I've ever worked for locks its doors @ a certain hour...whether the facility is assisted living, or a "nursing home". That's the only detail that seems to be missing in the story--whether or not their doors were/should've been locked, to prevent elopements / unwanted "visitors" @ that particular hour. Most places have a doorbell, often with an intercom system, for persons to announce their after-hours arrivals. Tragic accident. My heart goes out to her family.

saera said on December 11, 2009 at 6:55 AM

she should have free right to a nightly stroll, but the staff should have known when she went out and monitored her condition discreetly. it's 'assisted' care for a reason. as well as just the security of the facility in seriously in question if folks can come and go from the building without staff knowing about it.

bigdon said on December 11, 2009 at 6:06 AM

Haven't you been listening to the Prez? Obamacare! The quicker we kill off the aged with less care, it eases the fiscal burden. I would check to see if there wasn't some unpublicized directive preventing the bracelet alarms of geriatric "flight risks." Especially in below-freezing weather...

whatnext said on December 11, 2009 at 5:47 AM

Sad as this story is, the staff at the assisted living living community should not be put under the spotlight and labeled. They have a responsibility to person staying there yes but it is not a lock down facility and these people can come and go as they choose as they have done for years and why take away the freedom to do so. My grandmother wondered from the assisted living community my wife and I found for her several times and yes it lead to problems but you know she was living and she was going to do what she wanted to do, she may not have known why she was pushing her walker down the highway to go to the store but someone found her and brought her back so what's the harm. It is what it is and remember if your even lucky enough to live to be as old as they are your going to be doing the same thing as them . Or maybe they will lock you in a room with a window so you can't hurt yourself. That sounds like more of a nightmare.

melbell32 said on December 10, 2009 at 11:28 PM

I don't necessarily believe the staff in general should be responsible either, but the facility is. I worked in a nursing home much smaller than this one in rural TN, that was mostly medicare patients. They had a security system in place that high risk patients like dementia, and ones that just liked to try to get out without an escort wore bracelets on one of their wrists, ankles, or wheelchairs. If they got within however many feet was set up an alarm would go off that could be heard all over the center. It wasn't loud like a fire alarm but loud enough that it got someones attention. This was a great way to avoid problems like this. It should be required in homes that care for our elderly or mentally ill folks.

logic14 said on December 10, 2009 at 9:58 PM

Sad tragedy but I don't think the staff should take the fall. How do you balance an elderly person's right to free will and care taking. If the residence was deprived of their right to a late night stroll that would be wrong too. We lack the care and honor in America for our elders as it is, we shouldn't condemn them to a prison(rest home).