Family Says Grandmother Was Neglected At Yukon Nursing Facility

A metro family says they chose to bring the 94-year-old woman to the Ranchwood Nursing Center in Yukon because they felt it was a safe place for her. Now, they say they were wrong about that. 

Helen LaRue eyes are bruised and swollen shut. Her hand is broken.  Her family also says she may lose her eye.

"We're not sure whether she fell out of bed or if she was trying to get out of her bed into her wheelchair and the wheels weren't locked in the wheelchair and it rolled out from under her but she did quite a bit of damage to her head and her face,” said her grandson, Jason Guy.

Guy says his family has been trying to get Ranchwood to put safeguards in place, like rails for his grandmother's bed, after Mrs. LaRue fell a few other times. But Guy says the facility refused.

"It's pretty heartbreaking to see her. We go up and we check on her as much as we can and try to be there for her but just trying to get people to do their jobs and take care of her is the frustrating part." Guy said, "Finding her soiled. There are days that I think she has gone most of the day without being changed and getting her up out of her wheelchair and it just being soaked…"

Online Department of Health Records show Ranchwood was investigated in August for, among other things, "The facility failed to provide timely incontinent care"; "The facility failed to ensure incontinent residents were cleaned in a timely manner"; and "The facility failed to provide sufficient staff to meet the needs of the residents."

No one at Ranchwood would comment. 

"At some point, somehow it's become somewhat acceptable.” Guy said, “But it's not for my family. This is not acceptable."