Daughter: ‘It just plays mind games with you’

Case of alleged abuse leaves families mulling questions

By Tim Engstrom | Albert Lea Tribune

Published Saturday, December 13, 2008

Clare and Mavis Knutson were married for 63 years when Mavis died in March.

They had lived on a family farm near Hayward for most of those years until, like many elderly people, they moved to an assisted-living facility. Mavis fell one day, and it was apparent to family members she needed greater care. The couple’s grown children moved them into the Good Samaritan Society nursing home north of Albert Lea.

Jean Hanson lived in Albert Lea for many years until August. She now lives out of state.

She said her mother was always a complimentary woman, even before she began to suffer from dementia.

“She would say, ‘I love you,’ to everyone. She would say, ‘Hi, love you, nice shoes, nice hair’,” Hanson said. “She was a huggie person.”

It didn’t take long to describe her before someone else knew you were talking about Mavis Knutson. Anyone who met her once knew her.

“She had a great sense of humor, loved to sing, loved to tease. She was simple to describe,” Hanson said. “She just touched your life right away.”

Eighty-six-year-old Clare Knutson is labeled as having dementia and doctors say he has signs of Alzheimer’s, too, his daughter said.

She said he was an intelligent man, church-going, polite and respectful. She described him as stoic, patient, quiet, a longtime fixture on which others could rely.

“I don’t think I ever heard my dad raise his voice, except maybe to holler in the cows,” Hanson said.

They had been at Good Sam for less than a year when Mavis died at the age of 84. They were in separate areas. Clare was in a hall for Alzheimer’s patients called the Angel Wing.

Clare had been satisfied with the place. Hanson said he was “fairly settled” and would worry only about attending chapel. After her death, he wanted to roam the halls, to leave the building.

Clare and Mavis Knutson

“He became really agitated, uneasy,” Hanson said. “Of course, they are saying, ‘They were married for 63 years and lost his wife.’”

Hanson and her siblings decided to move Clare to Thorne Crest Retirement Community.

By May, they had heard of an investigation taking place at Good Sam alleging abuse of the residents by teenage female certified nursing assistants. The family inquired, and the nursing home alerted them of a problem but couldn’t say the details. By August, the nursing home informed the family of the results of the Minnesota Department of Health investigation, which didn’t name names but did say four teenage CNAs committed disturbing acts on elderly patients. The nursing home also informed them that their parents were two of the 15 victims mentioned in the Department of Health report.

The Freeborn County attorney brought charges against six teenage CNAs, and, because of their ages at the time of the alleged abuse, two face adult criminal charges and four face juvenile charges. The two facing adult charges are Brianna Broitzman, 19, and Ashton Larson, 18. All the reported victims in the case suffer — or for the deceased, suffered — from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease or both.

In hindsight, Hanson wonders. Was her father agitated because of her mother’s death or for reasons connected to abuse?

“It just plays mind games with you,” Hanson said.

Other questions she ponders likely are similar in nature to questions relatives of other victims have pondered.

She began thinking about visits with her mother, who she said would utter statements such as, “I’m glad you are here. I don’t like it here.” Or, “I’m glad you are here with me.”

Hanson said it is hard to tell what her mother meant with those statements. At the time, perhaps it meant something different to the daughter than it did to the mother. Or perhaps it was merely small talk.

Hanson said she felt physically ill when she read the Department of Health report. She said she isn’t one to be at a loss for words but she was at the time.

“Mom and Dad brought us up and took care of us. They were terrific parents. When we get to this part of our life, we feel responsible for them,” she said.

“When something like this happens and is so deep, I feel like a failure, like I failed them,” she said. “They raised me. C’mon. Why would I allow this to happen?”

Hanson said she wanted to speak to the media about her parents because she wants the public to understand the alleged victims in the controversial case are real people — they are actual loved and cherished family members.

Hanson praised the Good Sam staff. She said she was upset and told the staff so. She ended up crying along with one of the nurses. Many employees at Good Sam helped them get through the shock.

“They are not all bad people out there,” she said.

In fact, Hanson said she feels empathy for the good workers who have to deal with the mess left by the problematic ones.

Clare is unable to comprehend the situation and moreover has difficulty recognizing relatives, she said. However, he seems settled, polite and well.

“We’re happy with were he’s at right now,” she said.

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