The Brief
- “Larry’s Law” would effectively prevent “no lift” policies at assisted living facilities, which generally direct staff to call 911 instead of rendering immediate assistance to a fallen elderly resident.
- The legislation is in direct response to reporting by the FOX 9 Investigators which found Larry Thompson slowly suffocated after falling off his electric scooter at Meadow Ridge Senior Living in Golden Valley as staff “watched idly.”
- Advocates for the elderly, including AARP of Minnesota, support the bill while industry representatives have pushed back on the proposal.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Minnesota lawmakers heard emotional testimony as they considered a new bill that would reform how assisted living facilities handle emergencies, including when an elderly resident falls.
‘We could watch him breathe and then die’
Why you should care:
Speaking to legislators at the Minnesota State Capitol Wednesday, Adrienne Sloan explained how staff at Meadow Ridge Senior Living in Golden Valley “watched idly” instead of helping her father after he slowly fell off his electric scooter and died last year.
“In the video surveillance, we could watch him breathe and then die,” Sloan said. She urged lawmakers to pass a bill inspired by her father so that “nobody has to go through this tragic death like I did.”
Larry Thompson, 79, died from positional asphyxiation after he was trapped with his neck against the wall. He was a grandfather and Vietnam veteran.…