Authorities Still Seeking Unidentified Assailant Who Smothered a Nursing
Home Resident and Escaped
Florida police are still searching for an unidentified white male who after midnight last Sunday is believed to have smothered an elderly home resident to death. The man fled the nursing home when a nurse saw him sitting on the resident’s chest holding a pillow over the man’s face. The nurse yelled for assistance. The resident of the facility was a 92-year-old man who, by the time the police and 911 EMTs arrived, had died.
A search by police involving search dogs and air assistance did not result in apprehending the assailant.
The name of the resident was not released by the police.
Although a detailed description of the attacker was not available, police are asking anyone who might have information related to the crime to contact authorities.
Compliance Perspective
Failure to ensure resident safety and freedom from abuse and neglect by not preventing unauthorized persons from accessing residents’ rooms where they may cause harm can be deemed provision of substandard quality of care, in violation of state and federal regulations.
Discussion Points:
- Review policies and procedures for controlling access to the building to prevent unauthorized persons from entering the facility unnoticed at any time, but especially during nighttime hours.
- Train staff to be aware of and report unauthorized persons in the facility, especially during nighttime hours, and provide guidelines for identifying and confronting such persons in order to protect residents.
- Periodically audit to determine if staff are following protocols for confronting and reporting unauthorized persons in the building. Also conduct audits to determine that door locking mechanisms and door alarms keep the facility secure and that alarm codes are periodically changed.
