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Refusing to pick up fallen elderly residents
Assisted living facilities are implementing a "no touch" policy, directing staff to instead call 911.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Senior living facilities are repeatedly calling 911 after refusing to pick up fallen elderly residents throughout Minnesota and across the country.
The ‘no touch’ or ‘no lift’ policies are raising concerns about both resident safety and the strain it places on first responders, according to interviews, dispatch data, state health records and public testimony reviewed by the FOX 9 Investigators.
‘No touch’ policy instructed staff not to touch fallen resident
The FOX 9 Investigators previously revealed that Meadow Ridge Senior Living in Golden Valley had an "erroneous" ‘no touch’ policy that instructed staff to call 911 and to not touch a fallen resident, according to a Minnesota Department of Health maltreatment report.
The facility’s policy was blamed, in part, for the death of Larry Thompson.
Thompson, 79, died in March 2025 after he slowly fell off his electric scooter in the facility’s dining room and suffocated with his neck pinned against the wall, according to the state investigation.
The facility and its staff were cited for neglect, after failing to render any aid as Thompson struggled to breathe.
What they're saying:
"He did not die peacefully," said Thompson’s daughter, Adrienne Sloan. "He died knowing he was suffocating. He died knowing that nobody was coming to his aid and that he was by himself."
Meadow Ridge leadership refused to comment. However, during the state’s investigation a nurse defended the policy saying "moving someone could cause more injury."
Kristine Sundberg with Elder Voice Advocates says facilities will argue the policies are in place to control legal liability and prevent injuries to staff members.
"I don’t buy that," Sundberg said. " I think that it’s actually to lower costs so they don’t have to staff properly."
Minnesota’s state ombudsman for long-term care previously told the FOX 9 Investigators that "facilities that have no touch, no lift policies in place create serious risks for individuals.
Care Providers of Minnesota, an association that represents assisted living facilities throughout the state, refused to participate in an interview.
"Our members follow the best practices that align with federal and state guidelines and requirements in each facility," the organization said in a statement. "Our residents deserve and are entitled to access public services like (sic) such as police and fire response just as any other citizen of a city would expect."
'Excessive' non-emergency 911 calls ‘a strain’ on first responders
Meadow Ridge called 911 at least 91 times in three years because of fallen residents, according to dispatch data reviewed by the FOX 9 Investigators. That includes at least 25 calls where no one was injured.
While Golden Valley Fire Chief Bethany Brunsell encouraged calling 911 if there is an emergency or if there is a suspected injury, she said excessive calls for simple "lift assists" puts a strain on first responders.
"My personal opinion is that if there’s say someone has fallen, is on the floor – that if staff are there– they should be able to help that person," Brunsell said. "I don't think it's too much to ask these facilities to train their staff in how to do that safely."
Brunsell said a combination of staffing at assisted living facilities and policies that prohibit staff members from doing lift assists or from picking people up are likely driving the repeated calls to 911.
In Bloomington last year, an assistant fire chief filed a complaint with the state about receiving 29 lift assist calls from just one facility over the course of about a year.
"It appears there is either not adequate staffing, not the proper lifting equipment, or it is easier to call us," the chief wrote in an email to the Minnesota Department of Health.
Cities, states push back on excessive ‘lift assist’ calls
In Maple Plain this year, the city council passed an ordinance to start charging long-term care facilities hundreds of dollars for excessive non-emergency lift assist calls.
"We’re going at two o’clock in the morning to pick someone up off the floor that doesn’t have a medical issue – they just need to be lifted up and put back in the chair," Maple Plain staff said during a city council meeting.
Big picture view:
Other municipalities across the country have imposed fines on assisted living facilities for excessive lift assist calls.
An ongoing push in Wisconsin for new legislation would require more workers be trained in assisting someone after a fall.
During a legislative hearing, one former fire chief described being called to a senior living facility twelve times in less than 24 hours for lift assists.
Wisconsin state Rep. Lori Palmeri who sponsored the legislation described a scenario with her late mother.
"Imagine our surprise to learn after spending thousands of dollars for assisted living that no one was allowed to help her up and 911 had to be called," Palmeri said during a committee hearing last year.
What you can do:
Advocates for the elderly urge caution when deciding on a facility for you or a loved one.
"The consumer has to ‘buyer beware’ in this market and you really need to be very, very careful," Sundberg said. "You go into a place, it looks gorgeous, looks nice. Chandelier. Fireplace. All of that – don’t pay a moment’s attention to that – pay attention to these sorts of policies."
We want to hear from you: If you or a loved one lives in assisted living – ask to see your facility’s fall policy in writing and send it to us at FOX9investigators@fox.com