ALEXANDRIA, Minn. -- They spent 62 years together but Herman and Darlene Felt truly believed they would have even more time. But last fall, Herman had no choice but to say goodbye after the people he trusted to care for his wife allegedly didn't follow the doctor's orders.
"I have felt lost. I really have," says Herman. "I really have felt a real emptiness in my life."
According to a report from the Minnesota Department of Health, Darlene suffered from chronic congestive heart failure. She was admitted to the Bethany nursing home in Alexandria for therapy. The plan was to get better and then go home.
But the state investigation found an overdose of potassium chloride, used to treat heart problems, would ultimately kill Darlene and leave many unanswered questions.
At issue was the doctor's prescription and whether the doctor wrote the number 8 or 80. Herman Felt's attorney says the doctor was clear.
"I see an 8 with a scribble in it. Unfortunately that was interpreted by the nurses to be an 80," says attorney Jim Sherburne.
The state investigation found Bethany medical workers misread the prescription, and for a week Darlene received 10 times the amount of potassium chloride that the doctor prescribed - 80 millequivalents instead of 8. Three employees misinterpreted the handwritten order according to the state. Even the pharmacist who filled the order thought the dose was unusually high.
But no one called the doctor says Felt's attorney.
"She went from taking one pill a day to taking four large pills...so large they have to break them up and put them in her applesauce so she could get them down," says Sherburne.
Even the doctor who wrote the order told state investigators he has never prescribed 80 millequivalents of potassium. He says he first wrote down the number 16, then crossed it out and wrote 8 because he knew the smaller tablets would be easier for Darlene to swallow.
With elderly and nursing home populations growing, elder advocates say families and patients must be vigilant and know they are still in control of their own healthcare.
"You should be informed about your condition, what medications you're given and you also have to the right to say no," says Seth Boffelli with AARP of Minnesota.
Bethany Home's Executive Director Carol Kvidt issued the following statement: "Our prayers and deepest sympathies go out to the Felt family. We at Bethany community are devastated by this tragic event and are working to ensure such an incident never happens again."
Bethany Home has also taken some corrective measures - a review of policies and procedures, and counseling and re-education for everyone involved in Darlene Felt's case.
At this point, the Felts' attorney is still investigating and may file a lawsuit.
For help with any senior related issue, you can call AARP's Senior LingAge Line at 1-800-333-2433.
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