SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The company that operates a California elder care facility where a woman died after being denied CPR says the employee who refused to cooperate with a 911 dispatcher did not understand company policies.
The woman at Glenwood Gardens in Bakersfield identified herself as a nurse to the dispatcher, but said her company's policies did not allow staff to provide CPR to residents in distress.
Eighty-seven-year-old Lorraine Bayless died Feb. 26 after collapsing in the facility's dining room.
The dispatcher pleaded with the employee to administer aid or pass the phone to someone who would.
Parent company Brookdale Senior Living said in a statement Tuesday that the incident "resulted from a complete misunderstanding of our practice" regarding emergency care.
Brookdale says that employee is on voluntary leave while the company investigates.
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