Nursing home worker refused to perform CPR on 73-year-old who was dying in front of her because she had the flu, investigators say

A 73-year-old Colorado antheral was "left extracurricular to die" by workers astatine a nursing home who failed to find him and execute CPR for astir 15 minutes aft helium exited the installation and fell retired of his wheelchair, authorities investigators and his woman say.

"I did not respond precise well," a staffer told investigators with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, according to an probe confirmed by Law&Crime and findings obtained by section CBS affiliate KCNC.

Surveillance footage allegedly shows workers astatine The Argyle assisted surviving installation successful Denver taking 13 minutes to find and execute CPR connected Robert Dutkevitch aft helium went extracurricular connected a patio to fume connected Jan. 6. Dutkevitch was slumped implicit successful his wheelchair astatine archetypal earlier falling to the ground, wherever helium died, the surveillance video shows.

"Robert's look was planted into the ground," his wife, Sharon Dutkevitch, wrote successful an email to the Denver Police Department, which she shared connected her Facebook page. "Robert was denied punctual life-saving measures by his installation caregivers," the email alleged.

"When you cannot respire for 13 minutes, you die," Sharon Dutkevitch said.

A ailment was filed by the widow with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment earlier this year. She has besides hired an lawyer and plans to record a lawsuit against The Argyle, according to KCNC.

During the CDPHE probe, investigators accidental they recovered aggregate violations and failures that placed Dutkevitch and different residents successful "immediate jeopardy," KCNC reports.

Staffers waited 5 minutes earlier attempting to execute CPR connected Dutkevitch, who was disabled and placed successful The Argyle successful 2022, according to his wife. Call logs obtained by KCNC amusement that 1 staffer allegedly told a 911 relation that she did not privation to execute thorax compressions due to the fact that she had the flu.

"Robert … deserves justness for what didn't happen," Sharon Dutkevitch said successful her email to the Denver Police Department.

According to Dutkevitch's decease certificate, helium died of earthy causes, with acute coronary syndrome and atherosclerosis being listed arsenic the contiguous causes, per KCNC.

CDPHE investigators, however, recovered gaps successful grooming and preparedness that Sharon Dutkevitch believes led straight to his death. One unit subordinate was described successful the CDPHE study arsenic being "unaware of however to respond," portion others told investigators that they had not been trained connected what to bash if a nonmigratory was unresponsive.

"He didn't person a chance," Sharon Dutkevitch told KCNC. "I don't recognize wherefore caregivers basal astir and bash not springiness him CPR. Those radical are lasting astir him doing thing to assistance him. That's what truly hurts."

The widow added, "You're losing encephalon cells each 2nd that goes by without CPR."

Anita Springsteen, the lawyer representing Sharon Dutkevitch, told KCNC that staffers did not "seem to beryllium alert determination was an exigency going on," and erstwhile they were alert they allegedly "lingered astir and didn't bash anything," the lawyer said.

"Didn't instantly springiness CPR, didn't bash the things you would deliberation a installation similar that — with trained unit — would bash connected an contiguous basis," Springsteen said. "It seems similar determination was a model successful determination wherever thing could person been done. He could person been saved."

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The Argyle did not respond to Law&Crime's requests for comment. A spokesperson sent KCNC a connection saying immoderate of the conclusions by CDPHE investigators were incorrect and that information compliance is taken "extremely seriously" astatine the facility.

"My bosom aches," Sharon Dutkevitch told KCNC.

"I outcry each night," she said. "I privation I had been determination to assistance him."