Family advocates for AEDs in nursing homes after death of loved one
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Bill Knoll died at the Village of Mission care facility in Prairie Village on March 26, 2023.
His sister, Loree Knoll, is haunted by what she saw that day.
Her brother was slumped over in his wheelchair and non-responsive.
“What is going on? And I slapped him in the face. Bill! Bill! Bill! And he wasn’t responding,” said Loree.
An employee began performing CPR- but Loree says the compressions were on her brother’s naval.
Her partner, Denise took over. Then a nurse ran to find an AED. She never found it because there was no AED on site.
Loree says she was shocked to learn there was no AED on site.
“Just unbelievably furious. Especially when he had a pulse,” said Loree. “It’s the what ifs and I’m torn apart about the what ifs.”
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Loree filed a complaint with the state. The response acknowledges the family’s concern that staff “had online CPR training but no hands-on skills assessment.”
It also points out the rescue effort was left to “unlicensed untrained staff which placed R1 (Bill) in immediate jeopardy.”
It details how a staff member “was unable to locate the AED.”
Where are AEDs required?
Missouri requires AEDs in ambulances. Kansas requires them in dental offices that offer deeper sedation. Neither require them in nursing homes.
It’s something that Loree Knoll was unaware of when she placed her brother in care at Village of Mission.
KCTV5 reached out to the director at Village of Mission who declined to comment on the situation.
It’s unclear if any of the ten Tutera nursing homes in the greater Kansas City area have an AED.
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“People need to ask facilities do they have AED? It’s unsafe!” said LoRee.
Loree is writing local lawmakers asking them to consider legislation to require AEDS in nursing homes. New Jersey and Texas already have that requirement. New York recently considered similar legislation.
The push for more AEDs
AEDs cost around fifteen hundred dollars. They have been priceless in recent high-profile situations.
College athlete Bronny James collapsed on a basketball court. Trainers used an AED. He was released from the hospital in days.
An AED was used on NFL player Damar Hamlin right on the football field after he collapsed due to cardiac arrest after making a tackle.
“AEDs are incredibly effective, especially when coupled with CPR. When you use both of those together, the likelihood of a positive outcome is much higher,” said Amanda Nichols with the American Heart Association. “Anytime that you can have an AED available to you and you know how to use it, we highly encourage you to do so.”
The American Heart Association has no official stance on AEDs in nursing homes. They are advocating for them to be required in schools.
To learn more about AEDs click here.
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