MESA, Ariz. — A memory care facility in Mesa is hiring its own outside investigator after a 90-year-old resident with Alzheimer's was left in a hot van and died.
Lawrence Bearse, 90, had been taken to a doctor's appointment off-site but was left inside the transport van for nearly a day parked outside Canyon Winds; the facility where he lived.
On Tuesday, Canyon Winds announced it had hired Grant Woods, a former Arizona attorney general, to conduct an independent review of all aspects of operations at the facility.
“It’s unacceptable," said Grant Woods referring to Bearse's death.
Woods said although Canyon Winds is paying for the investigation, and his reviews are independent. He said in addition to examining the tragic death, he and his team will take a look at all policies and staffing at Canyon Winds. Woods is teaming up with Joseph Tann, an Arizona attorney, and Don Vogel, a retired Mesa police detective.
“This person was taken off-campus and then returned and somehow left in the van. How did that happen? There are procedures where that could not happen. You have to have checks and balances especially with a memory care patient," Woods said.
Woods believes his investigation will be complete by the end of the year.
This review comes as Mesa police and Arizona's Department of Health Services each conduct separate investigations.
“We take enormous pride in the quality care we provide for the residents who call Canyon Winds home,” said John Berry, Manager of Canyon Winds Retirement LLC in a press release. “Nothing like this has ever before happened at Canyon Winds. We will do everything possible to make sure such an incident never happens again.”
Berry and others associated with Canyon Winds have not responded to 12 News' request for comment.
"We're being stonewalled"
Kylie Bearse said she and her family learned about the independent review through a press release Tuesday.
“It’s a lot of frustration," Kylie said.
Kylie said she and her family are frustrated because after two and a half weeks since her grandpa's death, they still don't have answers.
“We just want to know what happened," Kylie said.
Kylie said her family met with staff at Canyon Winds last week to request several policy documents to better understand what happened to the 90-year-old beloved veteran. She said the facility agreed to cooperate. However, after a week, they've heard nothing.
“We asked them for some really basic documents," Kylie said. "Really basic things and we haven’t received a single document.”
Kylie said the frustration escalated Tuesday when her family learned Woods would be granted access to the documents they have been waiting for.
“This was an awful thing to happen and we just want to make sure this doesn’t happen to another family," Kylie said.
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