SALEM, Ore. — The family of Ki Soon Hyun spoke to lawmakers in Salem, pleading for more oversight and accountability for long-term care facilities across the state on Wednesday morning. Their testimony comes six months after their 83-year-old mother was found dead, after wandering away from a memory care facility in Sandy.
Less than 24 hours after Ki Soon's family moved her into Mount Hood Senior Living, she disappeared. On Christmas Day, her body was found in the woods, a half mile from the facility.
"I could have never imagined being here today," said Tim Hyun, Ki Soon's grandson. "That anything that transpired this last Christmas would have ever happened. My grandmother didn't die of old age. She didn't die because it was her time. She died because of complete and utter failure from those who claimed to be trusted, who we put faith in, to care and watch over her."
Ki Soon's daughter, Alex Smith, called on the state to do better — more specifically, for Oregon's Department of Human Services (DHS) to do better, through state policy changes. She suggested an audit and safety review of all long-term care facilities, and additional oversight moving forward so other vulnerable seniors don't slip through the cracks.
"I miss her deeply. Our mom deserved better," she said. "We must hold DHS accountable, to strengthen licensing requirements and reduce safety risks by providing much closer oversight, regulation, and training of all long term facilities in Oregon."
DHS's Director of the Office of Aging and People with Disabilities was also in the committee room, and told families that she was limited in what she could say about the specific case, due to pending litigation.
"I want to begin by acknowledging the families in this space. There are no words... there are no words," said Dr. Nakeshia Knight-Coyle. "It may seem like I'm not wanting to cooperate or share, but that's just not the case. I take the safety and the events that happen very seriously, extremely seriously."
Last month, Ki Soon Hyun's family filed a lawsuit in Multnomah County against DHS, and the facility, seeking tens of millions for personal injury and wrongful death.
Once learning of Ki Soon's disappearance, the family says Mt. Hood Senior Living did not inform them or call law enforcement to alert them of the situation until later that afternoon, the lawsuit said. The Hyun family first learned their mother was missing just after 3 p.m. when a member of law enforcement called them.
Prior to Ki Soon moving in, the family informed the facility of her risk to wander. The facility assured them it was adequately equipped with proper security measures, the lawsuit said; however, the Hyun family said that turned out to be woefully untrue.
An Ombudsman report following Ki Soon's death found not only did Mt. Hood Senior Living failed to care for her and other residents, but the owner of the facility also had no experience in this line of work nor did many of the employees and manager.