Eye to Eye ALH, an Alaska assisted living facility, has been fined $75,000 and cited in connection with a caregiver murder for which a resident has been charged.
As McKnight’s Senior Living previously reported, Gilbert Nashookpuk, 25, called the Anchorage Police Department Nov. 7 to say that he had “strangled, kicked and punched” to death his caregiver, Glenna Wyllie, 57, because she “had made him angry,” according to the department. He was charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder and awaits a June trial.
The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development said it cited the facility for not providing a safe workplace and for not notifying the department’s Alaska Occupational Safety and Health section of Wyllie’s death within eight hours. The former violation carries a $70,000 penalty, and the latter carries a $5,000 penalty.
“Employers whose business involves known risks of violence to employees need to ensure workers are properly trained and protected,” said Labor Commissioner Heidi Drygas. “Incidents like this can be avoided with adequate training and staffing.”
Eye to Eye ALH has a right to contest the alleged violations. Owner Margaret Williams told the Alaska Dispatch News that she does not agree with the claims. “I am not responsible for the death of that woman,” she reportedly told the media outlet.
