Published: September 26, 2008 12:00 am            

Reward offered in nursing home incident

Seven members of the citizens' advocacy organization A Perfect Cause were in Norman Thursday, posting fliers offering a $2,500 reward for information concerning an alleged assault at a local nursing care facility.

"We want to know exactly what happened to Carol Crow while she was residing in the Whispering Pines Nursing Center on July 11. The facility's representatives said she fell. Do these photos look like a fall to you?" asked Perfect Cause founder Wes Bledsoe.

The photos, provided by Carol Crow's husband Jack Crow and daughter Julie Glass, depict a woman with dark bruising from her scalp to her breast bone and on her shoulders and legs. Both eyes are blackened, with large dark bruises on either side of her chin and lateral bruises across her throat.

Carol Crow, 60, remembered being knocked down by a man who got on top of her and began beating her, family members said.

Nursing home administrators deny the accusations.

"That incident was fully investigated by the health department and is unsubstantiated," said Judy Crane, director of social services at Whispering Pines.

Crane said HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) laws prevent her from discussing what happened to Crow. Laws designed to protect the privacy rights of patients make it "hard to defend your reputation," Crane said.

Lisa Leebles, volunteer for A Perfect Cause, said Crow's story is a "sweet, sad story."

"It's sad because of what happened to her," Leebles said. "She's the only woman (Jack Crow) has ever loved."

Longtime residents of Muskogee, Jack and Carol met when they were 15 years old. "They married at 18 and had the first of two children when they were 21," Leebles said.

Jack Crow went on to become a successful businessman and the couple lived happily together until three years ago, when Carol came down with early onset Alzheimer's disease, Leebles said.

Carol Crow's recent problems began when she was over-medicated at a Tulsa geriatric unit, Bledsoe said.

"They loaded her up on seven heavy-duty psychotropic drugs," he said. "She couldn't walk and had to be taken to the only facility in the state that would take her" -- Whispering Pines Nursing Center.

On her second day at the facility, the family was told Crow had broken her nose, Bledsoe said.

"That was in June. On July 12th the family got a call from the facility saying that she'd fallen and they'd be taking her to a hospital to have her checked out," he said.

On July 13, the nursing center took Crow to the hospital. On July 14, the Crows filed a report with the Norman Police Department, Bledsoe said.

"Since then the family has been trying to find out what's going on. Jack Crow wants some answers as to what happened to his wife. It's been two months and his family is frustrated."

Bledsoe said the family is being stonewalled by investigators. A letter to Jack Crow from Janine McCullough, program manager for DHS Adult Protective Services Long Term Care Investigations Unit, stated: "I have reviewed the facility report, physicians' statements and photographs provided by family. I see no indication of abuse, neglect or exploitation at this time. The Long Term Care Investigators office will not open a case."

A Perfect Cause is offering the $2,500 reward to the "first caller who provides specific information leading to substantiated disciplinary action by the Oklahoma State Department of Health," Bledsoe said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Bledsoe at 308-3858.

A Perfect Cause is a citizens' advocacy organization whose goal, in part, is to end needless suffering and preventable deaths in long-term care facilities.?

Bledsoe founded A Perfect Cause in 2001, after his grandmother Eunice Allen died from negligent acts while residing in an Oklahoma City nursing home.

Bledsoe played a key role in Oklahoma's Sex Offenders Long-Term Care Facility Law, passed during the 2008 legislative session. He recently testified before a Congressional committee on the impact of predators in nursing homes, and has appeared on the Today Show, CBS Evening News, CNN and other news media.

Leebles said her grandmother also died in a nursing home.

"For the last seven years, I've been working on the advocacy end, trying to make a difference in this world in memory of my grandmother," she said.

Meanwhile, the nursing center denies any criminal acts occurring to Crow at the facility.

"When any allegations of wrongdoing are made, Whispering Pines always contacts the state to investigate... The allegations Mr. Bledsoe is referring to are unfounded, have been fully investigated with no finding of fault against Whispering Pines.

"We are currently working hard to offset the harm which Mr. Bledsoe's inflammatory and untrue statements have caused our residents and their families," Crane said.

Tom Blakey 366-3540 tblakey@normantranscript.com

        

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