A security expert is warning nursing homes to perform a vulnerability assessment and assign someone to check perimeter doors in light of a shooting death at a California facility.
A partially paralyzed, 23-year-old male was shot dead in the room he shared with one other person at Lake Merritt Healthcare Center in Oakland, CA. The shooting happened around 1 a.m. Saturday after two men sneaked in through an unlocked door, according to local outlet KTVU. An Oakland councilman told reporters that it was a “targeted shooting.”
Local reports noted that the deceased was shot multiple times and was the son of an alleged San Francisco gang leader who was convicted in federal court on firearm and drug charges.
Still, Steve Wilder, president and founder of Sorensen, Wilder & Associates, a security and safety consulting firm, told McKnights Long-Term Care News on Tuesday that while there appear to be many unanswered questions about the incident, one thing was clear: a perimeter door should not have been left unlocked at that hour.
“You walk a fine line in letting visitors in and not letting visitors in,” Wilder said. It was unclear Tuesday what type of security measures or personnel are normally in place at the facility. Local reports said an armed guard was onsite Monday, but only after the killing.
Wilder said his firm advocates that facilities perform vulnerability assessments and have on-site security. But, if there is no formal security team, he said that at least identifying a staff member to check perimeter doors and secure any that are left open or unlocked is a valuable step.
Nursing homes can implement visitor management policies with regular visiting hours, but Wilder acknowledged it’s not always a simple thing to develop them. Still, a defined process for after-hours visitors might have been a factor in prevention, Wilder added.
KTVU reported comments from other patients’ relatives indicating that “security was lax” at Lake Merritt. The facility told the TV station that it was conducting an internal investigation into what happened.
Stan Szpytek, a disaster planning expert who works with nursing homes, told McKnight’s Long-Term Care News Tuesday that SNFs should have a plan for handling perilous situations. Staff also should be aware of any unusual circumstances with residents, other staff or visitors.
“Long-term care facilities must be prepared for all types of hazard and perils, including acts of violence,” Szpytek emphasized.
