Local woman jumped to her death from a window at assisted living center

By: John Hinton | Winston-Salem Journal
Published: December 09, 2009

A Winston-Salem woman apparently jumped out of her third-floor window last month at an assisted living center after she cut the screen, state-health officials say.

L'Wella Ervin, 72, suffered injuries in the Nov. 3 fall at the Forest Heights Senior Living Community at 2500 Polo Ridge Court. She was found in bushes below the window and was taken to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, where she died.

Ervin, a retired Bellsouth employee, lived in a third-floor room, according to her obituary. The N.C. Division of Health Service Regulation interviewed Forest Heights' staff members to learn how Ervin fell from the window.

Those interviews determined that the staff members didn't indicate whether they monitored Ervin every hour or whether they addressed Ervin's agitation and confusion, according to a state document.

Harriett Hawkins, a team leader within the division's adult-care licensure section, determined that Forest Heights had deficiencies regarding Ervin's care and the care of four other residents. Forest Heights also violated some state rules.

Hawkins outlined seven measures to correct the deficiencies in a letter that she sent to Melinda Alexander, the executive director of Forest Heights Senior Living Community.

Hawkins set a Dec. 18 deadline for Forest Heights to provide supervision for its residents who have symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and dementia to ensure the safety of its residents.

Jim Jones, a division spokesman, said that state-health officials have provided Forest Heights with instructions on what its staff needs to do improve their residents' care and safety. Investigators will return without prior notice to determine if the staff has made the improvements.

Alexander declined to comment today and referred questions to Five Star Quality Care NC LLC of Newton, Mass., which owns Forest Heights.

The assisted living center has a state license to operate as an adult-care home with a capacity of 125 beds. Forest Heights set aside 24 beds for residents with dementia.

Under state rules, windows in adult-care homes may be restricted to a 6-inch opening to prevent resident from escaping or committing suicide.

The rule is not a requirement because in some cases windows need to open widen that 6 inches to allow ventilation and for evacuations in case of fire.