An assisted living facility for the elderly today defended the refusal of a staffer to give CPR to an elderly woman who had collapsed on the floor and later died.
The woman was identified today as a resident services director, not a nurse as previously reported. The woman repeatedly rebuffed pleas from the 911 dispatcher during a seven minute call on Feb. 26 to give the woman CPR or to ask someone else to do it.
Lorraine Bayless, 87, died later that day after being taken to a hospital by ambulance.
The executive director of the facility, Glenwood Gardens in Bakersfield, Calif., today insisted that the staffer did the right thing.
"In the event of a health emergency at this independent living community, our practice is to immediately call emergency medical personnel for assistance and to wait with the individual needing attention until such personnel arrives. That is the protocol we followed," Jeffrey Toomer said in a statement issued to ABC News.
Toomer offered condolences to the woman's family and said a review of the incident would be conducted.
Spokeswoman Andrea Turner said Glenwood Gardens is an independent living facility.
"Independent Living communities do not provide medical services, as they are not licensed to do so. In an emergency, staff will call 911 and then wait with the person in need of assistance. Glenwood Gardens is an independent living facility which, by law, is not licensed to provide medical care to any of its residents," Turner said in a statement.
