Authorities in Missouri are looking for answers regarding how and why an Alzheimer’s patient at Springfield Skilled Care Center fractured her neck. Police were summoned the the Missouri nursing home after the staff at the facility discovered the patients dead body on the ground outside of the facility.

A preliminary autopsy demonstrated that the patient suffered from a fractured neck that apparently happened as the woman was wrangling her way through a window to the outdoors.

As inspectors examine the circumstances surrounding this incident, news reports verify that Springfield Skilled Care Center has had troubles in the past. With a one out of five star health inspection rating, Springfield has had troubles relating to its ‘special care unit’ for patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia when doors wouldn’t open after fire alarms were activated.

In response to situations such as this, some facilities that cater to patients with Alzheimer’s have implemented the use of specialized safety devices such as: window and door alarms and specialized hardware to prevent patients from leaving the facility without the knowledge of the staff.

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