Elderly woman dies after wandering outside Wisconsin nursing home
An elderly woman who was living at a Rice Lake nursing home was found dead outside of the building last Saturday. An article that was posted by Twin Cities Pioneer Press says the woman, whose name hasn’t yet been released to the public, was 88-years-old. Rice Lake Police were called about 3:35 a.m. Saturday and […]
An elderly woman who was living at a Rice Lake nursing home was found dead outside of the building last Saturday. An article that was posted by Twin Cities Pioneer Press says the woman, whose name hasn’t yet been released to the public, was 88-years-old.
Rice Lake Police were called about 3:35 a.m. Saturday and told that the woman was missing from Rice Lake Convalescent Center, located at 1016 Lakeshore Drive.
“While searching for her, they found her outside a door,” Rice Lake police Capt. Tracy Hom said in the article. “She was deceased. It was a short distance (from the building). There were alarms that should have gone off. She was probably outside a couple hours, at least.”
The Wisconsin Department of Health defines a nursing home as a place where five or more persons who are not related to the operator or administrator reside, receive care or treatment and, because of their mental or physical condition, require access to 24-hour nursing services, including limited nursing care, intermediate level nursing care and skilled nursing services.
An autopsy for the elderly woman was reportedly ordered and the case will be sent to Barron County District Attorney Angela Beranek after an investigation into the death is complete.
“Hom said employees at the home had indicated she had been seen wandering the halls of the center in the past. Hom declined to comment on her mental condition or reasons she was in the home, citing privacy concerns,” the article reads.
Rice Lake Convalescent Center has 85 beds and is listed as a for-profit nursing home. Reporters attempted to contact the center last Tuesday, but officials at the nursing home declined to comment on the situation. online records show.
The article does not mention whether the center may face neglect charges in connection to the woman’s death.
According to the National Council on Aging, passive neglect is a caregiver’s failure to provide an older adult with life’s necessities, including, but not limited to, food, clothing, shelter, or medical care. Approximately 1 in 10 Americans aged 60+ have experienced some form of elder abuse or neglect.
One study estimated that only 1 in 14 cases of abuse are reported to authorities. Recent studies show that nearly half of those with dementia have experienced abuse or neglect. Signs of neglect can include, but aren’t limited to bedsores, unattended medical needs, poor hygiene, or unusual weight loss.
