85-year-old died of ‘extreme’ heat after leaving nursing home unseen, Arizona suit says
The death of an 85-year-old grandfather with Alzheimer’s disease who walked unnoticed out of his Arizona assisted living facility in 117-degree heat was “entirely preventable,” an attorney for the man’s family said.
“When you have Alzheimer’s and dementia patients, you have to guard your doors,” attorney Bob Boatman told McClatchy News in a phone call.
He’s part of the legal team for the family of Robert Pollmann, who was found dead June 25, 2024, about two days after wandering out of Brookhaven On 131st Place in Scottsdale using the front door, according to a wrongful death lawsuit filed Jan. 17.
Pollmann died from complications related to extreme heat, according to the suit, which names Brookhaven as a defendant and seeks unspecified damages.
McClatchy News left a message Jan. 29 at a phone number listed for Brookhaven and was awaiting a response.
Pollmann had a long career in agriculture and education before retiring, according to his obituary. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2021, the court filing said.
Pollmann’s family moved him into Brookhaven in June 2024 hoping for more supervision after he tried to leave his previous facility by climbing a tree, according to the court filing.
Brookhaven assured the family that the facility “was well equipped to care for residents with Alzheimer’s disease,” the court filing said.
But, the front door didn’t have a working alarm, even though Brookhaven was cited for that issue in December 2023, the filing said.
It took staff about 40 minutes to notice that Pollmann was missing and call 911, according to the court filing.
He eventually was found dead a few blocks away after a search, the lawsuit said.
Brookhaven knew about Pollmann’s “tendency to wander” but didn’t provide enough supervision or have reasonable precautions in place, among other issues, the court filing said.
“As a direct and proximate result of (the facility’s) negligence, careless acts, and omissions, (Pollmann) died,” according to the filing.
Boatman said “elopement” from facilities like Brookhaven is “a growing problem,” and Pollmann’s family hopes the lawsuit will bring about change.
This story was originally published January 29, 2025 at 2:22 PM with the headline "85-year-old died of ‘extreme’ heat after leaving nursing home unseen, Arizona suit says."
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