story kaiser health news found bonnie walker body floating pond backside assisted living facility south carolina puncture wounds ear temple jaw cheeks ripe forearm pacer inside one alligators lived pond like residents attend living deftness walker dementia shortly midnight one day july slipped facility brookdale charleston done days time one noticed missing seven hours one pass away way granddaughter stephanie weaver said assisted living facilities to begin with designed people largely independent compulsory help bathing eating daybyday tasks unlike nursing homes facilities loosely provide skilled medical fear therapy stays paid medicare medicaid dementedness maintenance segment assisted living residences grocery store people alzheimer types dementia facilities across country straining deliver anticipate security attentive care according kaiser health news analysis review records trio populous states california pct assisted hold out facilities violated one state dementia regulations past five years three common california cite related dementia care frequent sex relate groovy enjoyment life men women study florida assisted living facilities cited since meeting state rules designedto prevent occupant wandering away texas nearly quarter installation accept occupant alzheimer violated one state rules related dementia charge tailoring plan resident upon admission ensuring staff members completed special training according almost vi years record opinion office many quickness staff level necessary meet unanticipated needs residents peculiarly medical needs said fred steele oregon care ombudsman many entities setting staffing ratios maybe set care needs residents tooshie line uneven regulation occupy though particularly acute people dementia apply assisted living residents older weak assisted living residents generation ago within year experience fall visit emergency brake elbow room overnight hospital stay fit in centers disease control prevention half older assisted living created alternative nursing homes walk big assisted living facilities sure feel like suck base said doug tempo director mission partnerships alzheimer association yet rules attend living remain looser nursing homes federal government license oversee assisted living facility states set tough rules others government publish quality measures breastfeed homes inspections usually less frequent fines generally far lower nursing home might incur similar mistake everything bigger texas admit health problems lindsay schwartz associate vice president subject center assisted living industriousness group said facilities must balance safety allowing people dementia move freely possible socialize dementia difficult disease said freedom apparent motion incredibly important overall health brain body spirit observe people inline industry says rigid government regulations mesh individual approaches wait on living facilities aspire create residents residents families lawyers advocates say violent behavior agitated residents escapes could avoided intimately training staff eliza cantwell charleston plaintiffs lawyer said many facilities accepting resident physician prepared adequately care require maximize income qualified personnel take care people taking care anyway said cantwell representing weaver become brookdale emotional distress weaver says came among first people discover grandmother body brookdale already settled claim bonnie walker estate of the realm company declined discuss weaver lawsuit said statement everyday focus priority keep residents brookdale called walker death inauspicious accident said retrained staff year walker dying four inspections south carolina department health environmental contain fined brookdale violations including properly performing night checks