Oklahoma Nursing Home Resident Drowns in Creek
Eighty-two year old George Stanley Tollison's physician ordered nursing home supervision and 24 hour care. In response, his family placed him at Early Autumns Residential Care Facility. Based upon what they were told, he would be well-cared for and supervised at the facility. It appears now that he was rarely supervised and subsequently died.
The report from the Oklahoma State Department of Health stated that "the family said the owner/administrator misrepresented herself and her facility. 'I wanted 24 hour supervision to protect him...I wasn't aware they didn't have a nurse. I've never heard of residential care. I was told this was assisted living, a little more laid back than a nursing home.'" This is not the first time Early Autumns has been investigated for misleading the public about their level of care abilities. Allegedly, Early Autumns advertised itself as an assisted living center when it is not and there is not even a nurse on staff.
Reportedly, Mr. Tollison escaped the facility through a window on late on January 31, 2009 or early on February 1, 2009. According to an Early Autumns incident report, Mr. Tollison was found at approximately 9:45 a.m. on February 1, 2009, face down in a creek approximately 25 feet behind the facility. Rescue crews worked on Mr. Tollison for 30 minutes, with no success.
The Payne County Medical Examiner's Office states that while the official cause of death has not been revealed, probable cause of death is drowning.
The facility has been cited for six violations in the incident: failure to supervise, failure to follow physician's orders, failure to ensure qualified staff, failure to notify physician before withholding medication, and failure to notify physician or family when Mr. Tollison became disoriented.
At this time, there is no requirement for Oklahoma facilities to carry liability insurance, therefore, his family has little to no recourse in this tragedy.
