Nursing home resident found dead outside of the nursing home

The Baltimore Examiner carried a story today about a nursing home resident in Missouri who was found dead in her wheelchair outside of the facility on Christmas Eve.  According to the authorities the woman'd death will be classified as "unnatural" and "weather related".  Her family said that she did not suffer from dementia and would need help to get in her wheelchair and outside of the facility.  The nursing home, Northgate Park, has a 1 star overall rating (out of 5) by Medicare.  It is impossible to understand how this could happen to a patient who was so vulnerable and in need of assistance and supervision.  It also emphasizes the importance of gathering as much information as possible about any nursing home that you or someone in your family may need to use.  A great place to start is the Medicare website, Nursing Home Compare.  I see problems like this frequently in my Nursing Home Abuse practice.  If you think that a loved one has suffered from negligence or abuse in a nursing home call me for a free consultation.