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 Cowlitz County Coroner Tim Davidson said his office is now staffed around the clock and able to investigate all at-home deaths. Roger Werth / The Daily News
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County coroner to investigate all at-home deaths
Wednesday, March 12, 2008 6:35 AM PDT
By Leslie Slape
Printable version
E-mail this articleThe Cowlitz County Coroner's Office is now evaluating all at-home deaths, even if they appear to be from natural causes, due to growing concern about elder abuse.
In addition, they're now responding to nursing home deaths if death resulted from an accident or underlying circumstances other than natural causes.
Coroner Tim Davidson and Chief Deputy Coroner Brett Dundas said by looking at deaths when they occur, they can rule out abuse right away - or begin an investigation.
"It's something that has needed to happen in this community," Dundas said. "We have so many people being cared for in back bedrooms of people's homes. Ninety-nine percent of those are cared for with the best intentions and good care. But if even one person is mistreated or doesn't receive care they deserve, they need a voice. I've always felt we are a voice for those who can't speak themselves. They deserve that voice, and this is one of the best ways we can do that."
The Coroner's Office is now staffed 24 hours a day, but Davidson said the changes, which took effect March 1, won't cost taxpayers any additional money.
Davidson and Dundas work full time, aided by five part-time deputies. Two deputies are on duty at all times. Davidson and Dundas take turns working backup.
"It's just a matter of being able to shuffle part-time personnel," said Davidson, who spent a year developing the plan. "I've got a bunch of people devoted to the office and who like the job they're doing to be able to balance the schedule."
Davidson estimates the coroner's office will increase its caseload by about two-thirds, or 200 deaths a year.
He emphasized that most concerns of abuse are unfounded, but in the past if people waited too long to express them, sometimes there wasn't anything their office could do.
"Once or twice a week, family members show up here and say, 'Grandma was being abused by her caregiver prior to her dying and we think that has something to do with her dying,' " Davidson said. "We say, 'Let's take a look at Grandma and see what we've got.' They say, 'We cremated her yesterday.' Once they're cremated, our investigation is basically closed. We can't look to see if abuse happened."
Now, "When family members come back and say, 'This caregiver or family member was abusing the person prior to death,' we'll have documentation on file that shows no sign of neglect or abuse," he said. "It gives the family peace of mind to know we checked Grandma or Grandpa and they looked fine, or if not, we bring law enforcement in here and the investigation can start."
Reaction from family members has been encouraging, Dundas said.
"When we tell them we're there because of the huge problem with elder abuse, they are completely receptive," he said. "There's almost a sigh of relief that somebody's doing something, that an agency is out there looking out for the family."
The changes have been greeted with enthusiasm by law enforcement and funeral homes, Davidson and Dundas said.
In the past, law enforcement gave the coroner's office information about natural deaths over the phone and then waited at the scene, sometimes up to two hours, until a funeral home arrived to take the body. Now, officers can get back out on patrol within a half-hour because a coroner is there, Davidson said.
He said if a funeral home can't respond quickly, the body will be brought to the coroner's office. A chaplain will respond with the coroner and will remain with the family, he said.
Waste wrote on Mar 12, 2008 8:36 AM:
to waste wrote on Mar 12, 2008 9:00 AM:
I too accept death and believe that when you die it was your time. But those are harsh words. And if someone else had a hand in your death...they should be punished properly. "
RE: WasteWhy don't you read the entire story wrote on Mar 12, 2008 9:26 AM:
standard wrote on Mar 12, 2008 9:33 AM:
Dave wrote on Mar 12, 2008 10:28 AM:
ROSSrules wrote on Mar 12, 2008 10:29 AM:
Re: Waste wrote on Mar 12, 2008 12:23 PM:
When you have needs and no one helps you, will you tune change? Sitting in your own mess, starving to death? That is what people should just accept? You have a very distorted sense of life.
Dundas is correct when he states that they are the voices of those who have passed- when no one else listens, this is the only time the dead speaks. "
Mr. Bastinado wrote on Mar 12, 2008 1:54 PM:
FYI wrote on Mar 12, 2008 1:59 PM:
re standard wrote on Mar 12, 2008 2:41 PM:
dirty wrote on Mar 12, 2008 2:55 PM:
my fiance asked for an autopsy to be performed and we were told it wasnt going to happen, even though there was no real reason behind her death.
to this day, we dont know what killed her. thanks, cowlitz county coroners office for being almost 5 years too late! "
El Gabilon wrote on Mar 12, 2008 3:22 PM:
A priori wrote on Mar 12, 2008 3:58 PM:
common man wrote on Mar 12, 2008 4:56 PM:
THOUGHT wrote on Mar 12, 2008 6:04 PM:
With all the reports of abuse in nursing homes one would believe it would have a higher priority for this office. I thought the idea of this office was to determine if it WAS natural causes!!!! "
FYI wrote on Mar 12, 2008 7:19 PM:
Job Security wrote on Mar 12, 2008 7:34 PM:
saywhat? wrote on Mar 12, 2008 7:38 PM:
Hats Off wrote on Mar 12, 2008 8:09 PM:
As for charging the families for an investigation, this would be like having law enforcement charge a citizen for taking a report on a crime that happened against their family.
These cases are already being investigated by both law enforcement and the coroner’s office, this will remain the same. This story shows that the investigation is going to become more in depth.
This story also states that the law enforcement agency involved will no longer be sitting at the scene awaiting a funeral home response; instead, they will be able to get back out on to our streets. As a taxpayer, I would rather have my law enforcement officer on the street. Beside with both agencies having to be involved in these investigations, have the coroner’s office take care of the deceased during this part of the investigation I am sure their pay is a lot lower then a law enforcement officer.
My hat is off to the Coroner’s Office and the county for providing a more in-depth death investigation system, utilizing personnel more efficiently, and providing a check and balance within the community.
"
ray wrote on Mar 12, 2008 10:01 PM:
"Researchers also identified a propensity for medical examiners and coroners to exhibit ageism—a belief that focusing on nursing home deaths was “a waste of their time and resources…because of the poor health status of most nursing home
residents… [who] would die anyway.”[8]
These beliefs are major impediments to improvements in the forensic identification of elder deaths".
A huge step forward, you guys are pioneers , lets hope others will follow your example.
Ray Fernandez
Editor
http://elderabusehelp.org/ "
MerriB wrote on Mar 13, 2008 12:02 AM:
Keep up the good work folks!!! "
Laurie D. wrote on Mar 13, 2008 1:40 PM:
To Dirty...I am sorry you experienced what you did with your family member. Sitiuations such as yours are a perfect example of why this change is so necessary.
To Common man...HAVE YOU SEEN THE CORONERS OFFICE??? This office is for responsible for the entire Cowlitz County, that's South to Clark County line and North to Lewis County line not to mention East and West of it all. That's the better part of 100,000 people, maybe more.
There are no gold toilet seats behind those doors. What do you mean "pay for it"? Should they hold a Fund Raiser...wash cars or bake cookies. Of course this is a tax payer expense. The people of this office are also tax payers and they deserve better. They are not only responsible for dealing with the dead; they deal with those left behind. Whether it's a car accident, drug over-dose, natural causes, or Suicide, it is the Coroners office who deals with the family. Along with the County Chaplains office (Thank God for them). "
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