A 58-year-old woman has been charged in connection with the death of an 82-year-old woman under her care.
The incident occurred at Vista Springs Imperial Park at Timber Ridge, an assisted living facility in Clinton County, Michigan.
Colleen Kelly O’Connor, a resident of East Lansing, faces charges of second-degree vulnerable adult abuse, a four-year felony, following the December 2022 incident.
According to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, the charges stem from O’Connor’s failure to prevent the elderly woman, whom she was responsible for, from venturing outside into perilous weather conditions.
Lois Kathryn Cary, the elderly victim, attempted to go outside twice during a severe blizzard, characterized by single-digit temperatures and subzero windchill. Despite these attempts, O’Connor reportedly did not intervene. Cary was later found by a snowplow driver, partially buried in snow in the facility’s parking lot. Although she was rushed to a nearby hospital, she succumbed to hypothermia shortly after arrival.
The incident raises serious concerns about the level of care and supervision provided in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The charge against O’Connor alleges that she recklessly failed to act, leading to the victim’s exposure and subsequent death. The case has drawn attention to the broader issue of caregiver responsibility and the safety of vulnerable adults in institutional settings.
O’Connor was arraigned on November 20 before Magistrate Nikki Maneval and was granted a $5,000 cash/surety bond. The case is scheduled for a probable cause conference before Judge Michael Clarizio on November 30.
The Michigan Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud Division is handling this case.
The incident coincides with another alarming case in New York, where an 82-year-old woman was mistakenly declared dead at a nursing home in February but later found breathing at a funeral home. These cases collectively underscore the need for stringent oversight and enhanced care protocols in facilities catering to the elderly and vulnerable.
