State Health Department Investigating Second Alleged Neglect Case In Two Months At Arvada Assisted Living Center

ARVADA, Colo. (CBS4) - Two months after CBS4 Investigates uncovered allegations of neglect at the Almost Like Home assisted living facility, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment confirms it is investigating yet another case involving a different resident.

In late November, a resident named Judith was rushed to the hospital after Almost Like Home staff told her family she fell from a two-foot bed. Judith's family requested only her first name be reported.

"When we saw her we were pretty shocked at her appearance," said Judith's daughter, Melisa, who also wanted to go only by her first name. "We just believe it was probably greater than a two-foot fall from all the damage she has."

Melisa says there was even a fall mat on the floor next to the bed, so she's not sure how a fall could've cause such significant injuries. She believes there's more to the story.

"It just really isn't making sense to us," Melisa said.

Judith lived at Almost Like Home for a little over a year due to a condition called frontal lobe aphasia.

"My mom still understands 100% what was going on and what happened, she just has no way to communicate it to us," Melisa said. "I also noticed a change in her personality, she was withdrawn, scared all the time, in the hospital she was still very scared."

Melisa tells CBS4 when her mom got to the hospital, older bruises were also found on her body. She said her mother's injuries were so concerning, a hospital nurse called police.

"She (the nurse) was seriously shocked at the appearance of my mom," Melisa said. "She actually called Arvada Police herself to discuss the case, because she didn't think it looked right."

After three days in the hospital, Judith came to a new assisted living center called Jax Pointe, where Melisa says her mom is doing much better.

"She was down to 92 pounds at Almost Like Home, and she is now back up to 115 pounds," Melisa said. "We had put her on hospice two weeks before this accident, because of weight loss, and she's doing so well that there's a great chance that we could take her off of hospice."

This incident comes just two months after the family of another former resident claimed the facility's neglect caused their mom's premature death.

The CDPHE is still investigating both incidents. Almost Like Home has not commented on either case. Arvada Police has closed the investigations into both cases. CBS4 Investigates has requested documents to find out why.

Almost Like Home is one of more than 470 assisted living centers caring for older people in the Denver metro area. While state records show it had three citations in 2020, some other facilities like it had far more, one with 16 citations in 2020.

See the citations at your loved one's facility.

"It actually makes me feel terrible to know that other people are going through the same thing, because this should not be happening, we should be able to trust these homes," Melisa said.