Michigan Nursing Home Resident Found Dead Outside Facility
Eighty-four year old Rosemary Gubert was found dead in a ditch across the road from her assisted living facility at approximately 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 24, 2009. Ms. Gubert, a resident of Green Valley Manor in Metamora, Michigan, had been reported missing at approximately 5:00 a.m. that morning after having last been seen at approximately 2:00 a.m. Ms. Gubert, who suffers from dementia and Parkinson's Disease, apparently left the facility wearing only pajamas and no shoes. The temperature outside was approximately 30 degrees with a wind chill factor in the low 20's.
According to Lapeer County Sheriff's Lieutenant Gary Parks, "She just walked out." An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday, March 25. Apparently, no one at the facility noticed her missing.
This facility has already had three investigations launched this year by state regulators. In an unannounced visit in February 2009, investigators found a window in one resident's room with a broken screen and a window lock that did not work properly.
The facility has experienced other violations as well. During a visit in early February 2009, investigators reported water damage in the basement that had been caused by a former employee who had turned off the heat in anger, causing pipes to freeze. A violation was also found in March 2009 when an investigator uncovered that the facility did not immediately obtain health care for a resident who had been feeling bad for a few days.
