Report highlights abuses, preventable deaths in Minnesota's assisted-living facilities

At an assisted-living facility in Burnsville, an elderly resident was discovered dead in a pond after wandering away unsupervised. A resident of another facility died from a painful and untreated hernia after repeatedly crying out for help. At other facilities, residents fell in their rooms and were left on the floor for hours, unnoticed.

Those are some of the alarming cases cited in a 30-page report on Minnesota's assisted-living industry released at the State Capitol Tuesday by a coalition of consumer advocacy groups in support of legislation to improve safeguards for vulnerable adults. The report, compiled from state records, uncovered alarming conditions at some senior homes and numerous incidents of preventable deaths.

http://www.startribune.com/report-highlights-abuses-preventable-deaths-in-minnesota-s-assisted-living-facilities/508316922/