Medical history, Statement and TIMELINE of last hours, docs

Statement Regarding the History and Final Hours of Myrick den Hartog’s Life

Supporting documents and data are available at www.mwdh.info.

My full name and address:
Michael W. den Hartog
8123 Sandpiper Rd
Fort Myers, FL 33967
913.219.1370

Background Information

Myrick den Hartog has three living children: a daughter in Minnesota (Emily Gregg), a son in Florida (Myself Michael den Hartog), and a younger daughter (tiffany Nicole Watt) in North Carolina. He is currently in communication only with his son in Florida and occasionally with his daughter in Minnesota.

I moved to Florida in January 2011,  at that time, I worked in the Facilities Department at Page Rehabilitation, where I helped create and rehearse hurricane, fire, and elopement emergency plans.

Myrick was born on July 11, 1947, and lived in Iowa and Missouri. (a copy of his Florida state ID is available at www.mwdh.info)

Details of Residence and Care

Myrick’s most recent mailing address of record was 18316 Oriole Rd, Fort Myers, FL 33967. This was the address my family moved from on December 20, 2024. Myrick had moved to this address several years ago and appointed me as his Power of Attorney (POA) after our cousin, Rieke Places, declined the role by mutual agreement. (Copy of POA on www.mwdh.info)

Myrick lived with my family for over a year. He strongly desired to return to Missouri and not live in Florida during this time. However, financially, he had to sell his Missouri home. He attempted to run away on one occasion, and we had to contact the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO). He frequently wandered off during walks, sometimes traveling in the wrong direction or getting lost. I used his cell phone to track his location and always found him quickly, which inspired me to join the SWFL search team with our young K9 to help others.

In May 2023, Myrick traveled to Minnesota for a wedding and experienced a significant cardiac event. After treatment, which included receiving a pacemaker, he was released to a long-term care ALF facility in Sarasota, FL, due to a lack of beds in the Fort Myers area following Hurricane Ian. Then later relocated to Fort Myers in June of 2024 at Page Rehabilitation.

Recent Developments

In late May or early June of 2024, Myrick left his Assisted Living Facility (ALF) in Sarasota and attempted to return to Missouri alone. He was subsequently Baker Acted, and his medication was updated to include treatments for emotional disorders, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

By mid-June 2024, Myrick was admitted to Page Rehabilitation in Fort Myers after a hospital visit revealed walking pneumonia and severe constipation. Shortly after admission, his medications were adjusted again, which I approved, though I cautioned the facility to monitor him closely for behavioral changes after removing the recently added medication.

While Myrick appeared to improve, I was concerned about the long-term effects. During my visits, I also noticed security lapses, such as unstaffed front desks, malfunctioning alarm systems, and inconsistent visitor protocols. These issues raised concerns about the facility's adherence to safety standards. Additionally, I had an extremely hard time talking to the staff due to language issues. 

Final Days and Events

In the weeks leading up to his death, Myrick became increasingly unaware of his surroundings. He was usually calm and agreeable. He disliked living in a care facility but tolerated it due to a lack of alternatives. 

On Monday, December 23, 2024, at approximately 10:00 a.m., Myrick called my cell phone, sounding lucid yet paranoid. He made alarming statements, including accusations that the facility staff was trying to kill him. He mentioned being "of no use to them" and referenced being given a "little pill" to end his life.

I assured him I would visit the next day to investigate and contacted the facility immediately. I spoke with the charge nurse, his attending nurse, and the medical director, expressing my concerns about his behavior and the possibility of medication adjustments contributing to his paranoia. I specifically informed them that Myrick demanded I get him out of there and that they should take this seriously for his and the facility staff's safety.  I informed her that I felt like his medication was off and that it needed to be looked at. She agreed and said she would refer it to the medical provider. I informed her that there was a significant and dangerous change in his behavior and that he was a flight risk as he was demanding that we “evac” him from the facility.
 

The facility did not follow up with me, so I made plans to visit Myrick with the kids on Christmas Eve. 

(Correction 12-29-24 I did receive a voicemail message today from the 23rd, and the provider saw him, and they were going to start him on ....

I also learned from a voicemail that Myrick called 911 and told them the same thing that he intended to leave and wanted help, that someone or a group was trying to kill him)

Timeline of Events on December 24, 2024

• ? - Myrick,      at an unknown time, received his meds and was checked on….
• 12:30      p.m.: Myrick’s roommate reported to the CNA or nursing staff, seeing him leave the facility. (This was told to me by the roommate when I was in his room getting the sent article with the SAR K9)
• Missed      his 2-hour AHCA required check-in
• Missed      his 2nd 2-hour AHCA required check-in
• Depending      on the first check-in may have missed his 3rd check-in, but apparently, at      the shift change, the nurse on duty realized he was unaccounted for.
• 5:02      p.m.: I missed two calls from the facility.
• 5:09      p.m.: I received a call from the Director of Nursing and a police officer, who informed me that Myrick was missing. (I asked them if K9 had      been called as I was concerned about it getting dark soon; I was told they      had not contacted K9 search teams and that they first wanted to do another      inspection of the facility)
• I contacted the LCSO on-call K9 team myself, as I am a member of the axillary volunteer extended team and train with them regularly. I informed them of the situation, and they prepared for the official call. 
• 6:00 p.m.: En route to the facility, I received a call from the facility director, Jimmy, regarding behavioral questions about Myrick. I urged him to call in K9 units, which I believe he did; however, at this time, Myrick had already been missing for approximately 6 hours.
• 5:45  p.m. K9 team was contacted.
• 6pm   I arrived at the facility
• At      6:15 p.m., the K9 team arrived and went to the room to collect the article sent. I joined them in this protocol and spoke to the roommate at this time, who informed me of the 12:30 p.m. time he notified the staff that Myrick had left the facility and intended to leave. 
• Approximately      6:30 p.m. I was informed by the secondary officer (Officer Moore's      Partner) that they were going to investigate a possible match or siting of      Mr. den Hartog. But all three      vehicles present left leaving no officer at the facility to work with K9      or continue the search.
• 6:30      p.m.: K9 teams were sent but were delayed due to the lack of a police escort. Had the suspected person not been Mr. den Hartog, or had they needed to know the exact path he traveled in the event of foul play. They missed this opportunity due to a lack of escort, and the K9 team deployed and then waited for two hours without support or information.  
• Just before 7 p.m., Officer Moore returned to the facility. He seemed even more flustered and did not seem as though he had been on the job long. He also felt like he was in lost territory, unsure of himself and unconfident. He asked me who I was a second time and informed me a detective would speak to me in 20 minutes.
• Just before 8 p.m., I was frustrated. Not only myself but the K9 team was standing there waiting for answers, and the officer refused to tell us anything. I asked him who was in charge, and he told me the detective was. I then informed him of my position as Guardian, Medical Proxi, and POA      for Mr. den Hartog. I then more insistently demanded to speak to someone.
• 8:00 p.m.: A detective arrived and informed me that I was starting to      suspect that Myrick’s body had been found and that he was no longer with us.

Concerns and Observations

1. Security  Failures:
   • Non-functional security cameras.
   • Wander guard systems were broken/not utilized.
   • Inconsistent visitor protocols and staffing at the front desk.
   • Resident not placed in the dementia lockdown area after being notified of desire to flee.

1. Negligence in Monitoring:
   • Myrick was supposed to be checked every two hours. There is no clear record of his last check, and his roommate says he left at 12:30. We have no witness statements beyond the roommate and no security camera to review or collaborate.
   • Medical records should clarify his medication schedule and confirm if pre-noon checks were conducted.
   • Myrick  was a flight risk but was not put in a lock-down or monitored
   • The front desk was apparently short-staffed or not monitored enough to prevent residents from leaving the building.

1. Delayed      Emergency Response:
   • Once the wheelchair was found outside, it should have been assumed he left the building. (The interior could continue to be rechecked, but an outdoor  search should have started)
   • The delay in contacting K9 units and the failure to deploy them immediately may have hindered search efforts. Based on expert opinions, distance traveled, and weather conditions, had K9 been deployed, he would have been located in less than 10 minutes easily, even with protocol delays. 
   • Assumed hesitation from the facility to acknowledge publicly the elopement most likely cost Mr. den Hartog his life as he did not have the medical attention he required and contracted for.
   • Officers left the scene, leaving the K9 team without the necessary support to initiate the foot search had their unknown person not been the subject they sought.
   • The medical facility did not have cameras activated to review and track where he went and to go back and find his departure path, which would have confirmed he was out of the building and could have initiated the search.
   • The facility did not display knowledge of the procedure and appeared as if they had a lack of drills or rehearsals.

     

Conclusion

The facility failed to:

· Provide reasonable security and care for its residents with poor visitor and patient login-out protocols. 

· Provide a locked facility for dementia patients wanting to leave or known to wander or a wander guard system to track and prevent their departure from the facility. 

· Missed the required 2-hour patient check-in protocols. 

· Failed to follow elopement protocol and search standards developed and set forth in policy by the facility.   

· Failed to respond to the “significant change in behavior” and cautions given about his desire to flee the day prior and the voiced medication concerns. 

Fort Myers Police Department:

· Failed to act quickly and deploy K9 resources once contacted. 

· Filed to provide the required protective detail for the K9 once it arrived so it could do its task as assigned.

These failures likely contributed to Myrick’s tragic death. I request that these matters be investigated thoroughly to ensure accountability and prevent future incidents. Additionally, family and facility information was lacking, which caused concern and stress for all parties involved. It has now been over two days since the writing of this document, and no communication has been received by myself, the official point of contact from the detectives, the initial officer, the medical examiner, or the CSU officer. I will have to obtain this information myself via private investigation.  This exchange of information should be much easier for grieving families in the future. I am a dedicated and ambitious individual with a passion for technology and innovation. I have experience in web development, data analysis, and project management. In my free time, I enjoy hiking and playing the guitar.