Resident at Bend Senior Care Facility Died After Being Left Out in the Sun

State inspectors have concluded that Bend senior care facility Aspen Ridge Memory Care was dangerously understaffed during the hours a resident was left out in the sun and ultimately died.

A message from the Oregon Department of Human Services posted at the facility and recently obtained by WW describes the death of an unnamed resident on Aug. 30. She was found unconscious in the facility’s courtyard after being left unmonitored in the sun wearing heavy clothing for several hours, and later died while at the hospital undergoing treatment for hyperthermia.

“Two caregivers that were scheduled to work called out sick, leaving the facility with one med tech to cover resident care,” the message reads. “The incidents outlined above places all residents at risk for immediate jeopardy.”

DHS has banned the facility from taking on new residents, and issued a “condition” on the facility’s license requiring it to have at least four caregivers on staff during the day.

When WW called the facility seeking comment, the executive director said she had no details to share because it was her first day on the job. She’s employed by Frontier Senior Living, a Dallas-based chain that manages senior living facilities across the country. Frontier did not return WW’s call. Neither did the Georgia real estate investment company listed as the facility’s owner on its license with the state.

Fred Steele, the state long-term care ombudsman, says this latest death is part of a concerning trend. A resident of a Sandy memory care facility, Ki Soon Hyun, died in December after wandering out of the locked facility late last year.

“Older adults shouldn’t be left in a scenario where they’re in a state-licensed facility and potentially going to die from the elements due to that level of negligence. That’s what happened here—and that’s what happened at Mt. Hood Senior Living,” Steele said.

The problem has gained national attention. The Washington Post has counted dozens of similar deaths at specialized facilities catering to people with dementia across the country.

Particularly concerning to Steele is the fact that it took the state two weeks—and prodding from his office—to issue the “immediate jeopardy” notice to Aspen Ridge Memory Care following the resident’s death.

A spokesperson for ODHS released a statement saying the agency began investigating as soon as it heard about the death. “The investigation and response included meeting with the facility administration to review safety concerns raised by the initial report. The license condition was issued based on the preliminary investigation findings and the Medical Examiner’s determination of cause of death,” it reads. “With the license condition in place, APD is closely monitoring the facility.”

Since the condition was put on the facility, conditions there have improved, Steele says. His office’s investigation into the state’s response to the death is ongoing.

Updated Sep. 20 at 8:41 pm with a statement from the Oregon Department of Human Services.