Elderly Woman’s Caretaker Arrested On Charge Of Mistreatment Woman Was Rushed To Hospital With Severe Bedsores

Elsie Fanning’s relatives were thrilled to get the 83-year-old woman out of a nursing home and into the home of an enthusiastic nursing assistant.

At first, Fanning appeared to thrive - smiling, going to the mall for the first time in years, attending family dinners.

“We thought, ‘Wonderful!”’ said Janet Fanning, a daughter-in-law. “See how naive you can be?”

On Wednesday, Elsie Fanning’s caretaker was arrested on a felony charge of second-degree criminal mistreatment after Fanning nearly died in her care, authorities said. Fanning had been in the woman’s home less than two months.

Roxanne Stommes, 28, turned herself in Wednesday afternoon and was booked into the Spokane County Jail. She was released on her own recognizance.

Private caretakers in Spokane County have rarely faced criminal charges involving their residents, said Sheriff’s Detective Ron Ethridge, who investigated the case.

Authorities decided Stommes should be held accountable because she’d worked in nursing homes and knew how to care for the elderly, Ethridge said.

“She wasn’t cleaned properly and wasn’t fed properly and wasn’t hydrated properly,” said Ethridge. “Anyone with common, logical sense would know you have to do certain things.”

Nurses said Fanning’s bedsores were among the worst they’d seen.

Stommes and Fanning, a retired English teacher, met at Lilac City Care Center, where Fanning lived and Stommes worked as a registered nursing assistant.

Before Stommes quit, she told Fanning’s relatives she planned to take care of elderly residents in her home. Court documents show she offered to care for Fanning at her north Spokane home for about half the cost of the nursing home.

For awhile, Elsie Fanning appeared happy and healthy, said Janet Fanning, who visited periodically. “We knew she was getting showered and cleaned every day.”

Seven weeks later, on Oct. 8, Fanning was rushed to the hospital, filthy and dehydrated and covered with such severe bedsores health workers doubted they’d heal, authorities said.

She later returned to Lilac City Care Center to recuperate.

“She walked out using her walker, smiling and laughing,” Ethridge said. “She came back close to death. Within two days, Mrs. Fanning could have been dead.”

Attempts to reach Stommes were unsuccessful Wednesday. Her attorney didn’t return a telephone call.

Jack Fanning said Wednesday he doubts Stommes intentionally harmed his step-mother, who considered being bathed an invasion of privacy.

“I have a master’s degree in psychology and counseling and I feel I’m a fairly good judge of character,” he said.

But Janet Fanning said she felt betrayed by the caretaker. “You just wonder if you can trust people anymore.”

Elsie Fanning, a diabetic, worked in the Central Valley School District for more than 30 years, teaching English and drama. She now lives in an adult family home with five other elderly residents.

“We checked this home really thoroughly,” Janet Fanning said.

Health professionals say people who want to place elderly relatives in private homes should carefully check the caretakers’ background and references.

If there are other residents in the home, check for cleanliness and watch to see how the caretaker interacts with them, said Jan Thompson, Aging and Adult Services administrator.

“People see it as a way of making money, and your people going in are so vulnerable,” said long-term care ombudsman Linda Miel. “Visit often.”

, DataTimes