Nursing home employees suspended, may faces charges in death

So absorbed by an episode of "Dog the Bounty Hunter," an employee of an Itasca nursing home gave only a cursory glance when she heard the security door alarm sound, authorities said.

They said the alarm likely was triggered by an electronic bracelet worn by Sarah "Sally" Wentworth, an 89-year-old resident who wandered outside The Arbor nursing home Feb. 5 and died of exposure to the cold.

But that was only the beginning of what law enforcement sources said was an early morning of neglect and cover-up among as many as four nursing home employees who are expected to be charged criminally for their actions.

After the employees found Wentworth lying outside in subfreezing cold, sources said, the staff members tried to cover up the tragedy by returning the deceased woman to her bed.

The former Chicago woman, who suffered from dementia and other health problems, was a resident at the privately owned facility at 535 S. Elm St. for nearly three years. Her three daughters filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against The Arbor days later.

DuPage County State's Attorney Joseph Birkett declined Wednesday to talk about specifics of the criminal investigation, but the prosecutor did say he expects it to wrap up "sooner rather than later."

Birkett did say he is investigating whether The Arbor may face civil penalties as well.

An attorney for The Abor confirmed Thursday that certain employees have been suspended.

"It is standard Arbor procedure to suspend employees pending investigation of healthcare issues," attorney Bill Radke said. "Certain employees of The Arbor have been suspended pending investigation of the Sarah Wentworth incident. The Arbor has not yet completed its investigation of this matter."

Though the family questions whether Wentworth had the strength and mobility to end up outside without help, authorities investigating her death said she most likely wandered outside on her own.

Police received the 911 call at 5:43 a.m. from The Arbor of a report of an unresponsive resident.

Officers were told Wentworth died while asleep in her bed. But authorities became suspicious shortly after their arrival. Instead of finding the woman in her bed in pajamas, Wentworth was dressed in a hospital gown, covered in blankets and lying on a gurney while hooked up to an oxygen machine.

Wentworth was cool to the touch with a temperature well below the average 98.6 degrees despite being in a warm room. Her flannel nightgown also was missing. Police obtained a warrant to search a Mount Prospect waste disposal facility to recover the gown, but they came up empty.

Itasca Police Chief Scott Heher has said his officers uncovered conflicting information after talking to all of the nine Arbor employees who were on duty that morning during videotaped interviews.

For example, some employees said Wentworth was fine and sleeping in her bed during a 3 a.m. well-being check, but detectives later learned that check never occurred.

Authorities allege employees panicked after finding Wentworth outside shortly after a 5 a.m. well-being check, and then some of them conspired to try to make it look like she died naturally while asleep in her bed.

At least four employees - all nurses or nursing assistants - may either be charged or asked to cooperate as witnesses, sources said. They range in age from 30 to 57 and live throughout the Chicago area.

Possible charges include obstructing justice for lying to police. The employee who failed that morning to investigate the alarm while watching television may face the most serious allegation of criminal neglect. No one is expected to be charged with murder.

At a news conference last week announcing the wrongful death lawsuit, Wentworth's daughters said they resisted putting their mother in a nursing facility until her dementia worsened, to the point she was falling and wandering off, that they realized they needed professional help. Wentworth's daughters said they researched facilities and felt their beloved mother would be in safe hands at The Arbor - a decision they now regret.

"If someone heard that alarm go off and they chose to do nothing, that would rise to a level well beyond a civil action, and, in my opinion, would justify criminal charges," said Louis C. Cairo, attorney for the Wentworth family.

"This has clearly caused new anger within the Wentworth family that was attempting to grieve over this loss."

Alleged: No murder charges expected