An Arizona woman was left in shock after discovering the lifeless body of her elderly uncle in his room at an assisted living facility. Angela Boorn had moved her 75-year-old uncle, Gerald McClellan, into the LifeStream at Sun City facility, located approximately 16 miles northwest of Phoenix. She was horrified to find his unattended body, which authorities later confirmed had been there for at least three to four days.
Boorn had a close relationship with her uncle, who she considered a second father figure. She was deeply distressed to learn that McClellan had been neglected for several days, leading to her grim discovery. She described the sight of her uncle’s remains as a “skeleton in a chair,” with his eyes appearing “hollowed out.”
Boorn would regularly visit McClellan, always announcing her arrival with the phrase, “Uncle, I’m here.” However, on October 16, her greeting was met with silence, leading to the horrifying discovery. She immediately sought help from the facility’s front desk, questioning when her uncle had last been checked on.
The executive director of LifeStream informed Boorn that none of the staff had visited McClellan’s room since at least the previous weekend. Boorn had moved her uncle into the facility in January, following the death of his wife. She had promised her late aunt that she would take care of McClellan, and was paying nearly $1,700 in monthly rent, believing that the facility had measures in place to prevent such incidents.
One such measure was a button in each room that residents were supposed to press each morning to signal their wellbeing to the staff. Boorn stated that a staff member was supposed to check on her uncle by 10 a.m. each day. However, despite McClellan not pressing the button or answering calls, no one came to check on him for four days.
Boorn decided to share her story to alert others with loved ones in the facility about the potential neglect. She urged family members to regularly check on their relatives, as it appeared the facility was not doing so. It remains unclear whether Boorn intends to pursue legal action against LifeStream.
In response to the incident, LifeStream issued a statement expressing their deep sadness over McClellan’s passing and extending their condolences to his family. They also thanked emergency responders for their professionalism and support during this difficult time.