Roseville resident Gene Rogers died from heat stroke after being left in the sun in his wheelchair at Westmont Meadow Oaks. About 2 months earlier an unnamed resident in the Westmont Living facility in Chico facility was also left unattended and later died. The incident at The Terraces Compass Rose Memory Care Center in Chico happened on April 23 and regulators received a complaint. The complaint stated that a resident was “left out in the sun for several hours” according to the Department of Social Services. Both care homes are run by Westmont Living with several locations in California and Oregon
In the Chico incident when the Butte County paramedics responded the staff was unable to explain how such a thing happened. The medics noted that “six staff were present and no one knew anything.” The report from the medics went on to say that “it’s unknown who left him out there from the AM shift to 4:11 PM; dehydrated and unresponsive. Resident was red, sweaty and the weather was between 70 and 80 degrees.” The resident who was not named in the report died two weeks later. An autopsy was ordered and “significant conditions” found that included “acute pneumonia in both lungs.” The Executive Director for the facility has refused comment.
The complaint investigation report says Paramedics were told by staffers that no one knew who left the resident outside or for how long. Staff said “we haven’t done head counts in a while. We are short staffed and we can’t give residents what they need.” The State Agency that oversees the facility initially levied a fine of $1,000 against the facility and later issued an enhanced fine of $15,000, the maximum allowed by law for failing to provide adequate care and supervision. No fine will bring Mr. Rogers or the victim from Chico back .
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