Elderly Man With Emphysema Dies When Company Cuts Power, Stops Oxygen

[The Straight Story]

Elderly Man With Emphysema Dies When Company Cuts Power, Stops Oxygen

POSTED: 7:04 pm EDT June 26, 2005
UPDATED: 11:25 pm EDT June 26, 2005

KATHLEEN, Fla. -- An 86-year-old man with emphysema died minutes after Lakeland Electric cut off electricity to his son's home, shutting down his oxygen machine.

One day after Richard Howerton brought his terminally ill father John home from a nursing home, Lakeland Electric cut off the power to his home in Kathleen because he was late paying his bill.

"What they did was cruel and inhumane," Joyce Howerton said of her father-in-law's death. "It was despicable."

Utility workers didn't know a sick, elderly man was inside the home when the power was cut off on June 14. When the power was cut, the oxygen machine stopped and he died shortly after.

http://www.local6.com/news/4653752/detail.html

[whistle]

1. How does Gov. Jeb Bush justify this little bit of American....

...free enterprise?

[SouthernDem2004]

2. This is truely tragic but unfortunately it was the sons fault.

Electricity isn't free here or in any other country I know of...

[benburch]

9. Yes!

And I expand upon that in my reply below.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

14. Is it even remotely possible in your universe that the son had missed....

...paying the bill while he was getting his dad moved into his house?

But hey, let's blame it on a son who already feels bad enough about what happened.

[northzax]

16. it takes at least six months of missed payments

and several hundred dollars in arrears before they start to threaten to shut off your service. this was not one missed payment. A tragedy all around.

[qanda]

30. Really?

Because here in Maryland, they only give you about a month before someone will come to your door and if you don't have the payment then they will shut your service off. Ask me how I know.

[benburch]

40. Different states have different regulations.

And I am amazed they dare come to the door there. In many places they would be in great danger if they did so.

[elehhhhna]

85. Houston you get one month grace BUT a trillion warnings plus

notice that they cannot shut it off if you have an ill family member who needs it.

[Tinoire]

46. Really? Here in CA they give you 1 month of being in arrears

before the 15 day letter comes. If you have a good payment history, they'll let you slide for an additional month. This I know from personal experience.

But 6 months NO!

[northzax]

50. In march, once I got a job

I paid a cumulative bill dating to the previous july...

[Tinoire]

79. Whoa! You lucky person! Count your blessings!

That is good to hear.

[Horse with no Name]

48. Not true

If you are 5 days late here they will pull the plug--that is in Texas.
They don't allow your bill to go into having 2 due at the same time.

[northzax]

56. I can only speak from my personal experience

I believe that they will shut your service off if one bill is five days late, sorry. However, I also would aruge that the TXPUC would point out that is an offense, and fine the company. google it, you'll find many examples...

[Horse with no Name]

59. Truly I don't care if you believe it or not

I KNOW that they will cut it off. They did it to me.
I use Reliant and they do NOT allow your bill to roll into a 2-month bill.
I am speaking of 5 days past the "past due" notice.
They only send ONE of those.


On edit: They also do not make payment arrangements once the past due notice has gone out. But like I said--this is Reliant. I have no idea who your "experience" is with.

[northzax]

61. then use a different provider

if it's a problem for you. Texas is deregulated, right?

[Horse with no Name]

62. Yes we are.

And a big "Thank you":puke: to good ole dubya for that.
Unfortunately my choices would be akin to choosing between Cheney and Rumsfeld and I am using Rumsfeld already. Don't wanna switch to Cheney.:shrug:

[Ilsa]

123. Ugh. I'm sorry to hear that.

I just switched to Reliant because i was tired of CPL getting all o fmy money for the last 25 years.

Fortunately, we have good credit history and are able to pay aour bills on time.

[benburch]

69. We are not talking about Texas.

Wasn't that clear?

[nonconformist]

78. NOT TRUE!

It depends on where you live. The more economically depressed the area, the faster they shut it off.

In my county, if you are 15 days (yes, DAYS) late, they shut you off. No notice, no phone calls, no knock on the door.

[verdalaven]

101. Two weeks late here.

Two weeks, you get a pink notice. Before the next billing cycle, lights out.

I don't know anything about this guy's situation, except that it is soooo easy to over look one pink notice in the chaos of transitioning an elderly family member into your home. Been there, done that.

[Lindacooks]

105. Not true.

One missed payment can do it.

[eleonora]

107. Not in Louisiana

My electricity got cut off when I missed one payment.

[demgurl]

120. Last month we paid all but $25 of our bill

and they said they were going to turn off our electricity if it was not paid within something like 15 days. So, I can positively say that it does not take 6 months for this to happen and several hundred dollars.

My husband read the notice and laughed that they sent it. I paid our bill over the phone and I guess I entered the wrong amount on the automated system - or the system did something wrong, at any rate, when our bill is somewhere around $200 every month, it is funny that we are one month late on a lousy $25 and they say they are going to turn off our electricity.

[Pepperbelly]

136. bullshit!

I don't know where you live but they will cut your ass off here for very damned little.

[tsuki]

140. Not in Florida.

[lildreamer316]

142. Bullshit.

It only takes being late PERIOD here and they will shut it off. ANY amount. One month.
Maybe he's been paying for his dad's hospital bills and missing work to take care of him?
Geeez you guys!

[slutticus]

158. It doesn't matter.

If you have someone living in your house who's life depends on the power being on...you'd better be damn sure that your bill is paid...or at least let the company know what the situation within the house is if you can't pay.

How's the company supposed to know there was someone on life support in the house?

[Pepperbelly]

159. I think there is much you don't know here.

The bill was paid. The son is a 60 year old with lung cancer who is totally disabled. Why do you want to bend over backwards to give the corporate pig of a power company a break while not even finding out these rudimentary facts. You made assumptions that a 30 second google search would have prevented.

[1monster]

163. That is NOT true. One and a half months is all you have to pay for the

electriciy before a notice is sent telling you that your electricity will be shut off.

I was late making a payment, although I did make it before the shut off date. The bad thing was that I did not get the notice that my power was going to be shut off until the day after it was scheduled.

I had paid part of the bill earlier, but since I couldn't find the current bill when I paid, I paid what I thought was the correct amount. I was $90.00 short. And for that, they were going to shut off my electricity. Not six months and hundreds of dollars.

[benburch]

17. Nope. Not even remotely possible.

You do not get your power cut until you are months in arrears.

And he had been given a sign to post on the electric meter and did not post it.

And where was their backup oxygen cylinder? Had they promptly hooked the old man up to a standby tank he would have been fine.

Total disregard of his father's safety on his part. He had every opportunity to prevent this, EVEN without paying his bill.

My father-in-law is in the exact same situation, and he has 24 hours of oxygen in a tank for the inevitable power outages that happen. And if you get past 20 hours and no restoration of service? You call 911 and they will either take you to the hospital or make sure you get a tank.

[fasttense]

31. And the electric company can't get someone to ring the door bell before

they cut the power off?

[mondo joe]

33. I'd bet anything they sent MULTIPLE notices over the months.

That's not enough? Now the guys who service the lines are supposed to do in-person get togethers at the last minute?

[benburch]

37. They do not do this for the safety of the workers.

They used to, but this exposes the utility workers to armed violence far too often.

I'm serious about that.

People will use violence against the workers.

A typical utility shut off is a cut-and-run situation. They do not want to be around when you come out to see what just happened.

And can you blame them?

[Name removed]

68. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mondo joe]

75. Can you imagine the nightmare job of having to argue (and

defend yourself) from every person having service terminated?

[patcox2]

77. It'd be like making repo men ask for the keys.

nt

[benburch]

80. Sometimes it gets ugly even when they cut off without telling the customer

I recall several news stories of utility workers being attacked or threatened and needing to bring in the police to effect a cut-off.

[Name removed]

89. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[demgurl]

126. The kind of people you have seen?

Oh my God! Do you know offensive that remark is? I posted, above, that we got a noticed for ACCIDENTALLY not paying $25 of our electric bill. They gave us 15 days to pay it.

The kind of people who do not pay their bills are the 'kind of people' my husband and I were just about four years ago when he was laid off. He went into work and all of the workers were told that they were being let go with no notice. He found contract work here and there but if it were not for my Great Aunt's passing - in another country so we were not responsible for her death (!), we would have lost our house. This is not because we are deadbeats.

At one point in time I was a manager of an art gallery and the only job my husband has known for the last six or so years is computer training/programming. We were on the verge of losing our house when he got another job. This is the kind of people we are!

The kind of people you are talking about are ones who lost jobs because of 'wonderful' pResident's cutbacks and bad economic decisions. You are way out of line.

[whistle]

41. In Florida if you miss a payment, you have your power cut....

...You can contact the power company anytime before your payment is due to make special arrangements, but usually that involves some type of agreed payment plan. Sad story, lots of blame all around. Don't get sick or old in America folks.

[Pacifist Patriot]

81. I'm in Florida and that isn't the case here.

I have Florida Power & Light and pay my bills on-line. One month there was a glitch and the payment didn't process. I had no idea until I got my next month's bill and it showed the outstanding balance. Just said "$ past due. Please pay now." No threatening words to cut off power, no late fee, nothing. I called immediately to apologize and was told, "No problem, just pay before your next month's due date. You'll be fine." And I was.

I'm not saying the power company in this case was right or wrong, just that I'm in Florida and a missed payment doesn't mean instant cut off.

[Horse with no Name]

49. Sorry Ben

All states are different.
My electric company gives me 5 days.
That's it.
And they will shut it off.

[benburch]

72. Right, but we were talking about a specific instance.

In FLORIDA. Where they have protective laws and it takes months and even then had the son posted the sign the hospital gave him, nothing bad would have happened!

The son;

1. Didn't pay for months.

2. Didn't post the sign.

3. Didn't call the Utility.

4. Didn't have or didn't promptly use the emergency oxygen he should have had and used.

His fault.

He killed his Dad.

[Pepperbelly]

160. you are totally wrong in you post.

Totally. Completely. On all counts.

[SouthernDem2004]

18. I know he feels bad but facts are facts. /nt

[DarbyUSMC]

83. Blame is the name of the game. The father was terminal. He died due to

lack of oxygen due to lack of electricity. The son will blame the electric company who should have been psychic. The company will blame the son for not taking care of business. The observers will blame both plus the social worker at the hospital, the doctors, the old man himself for ending up with emphysema, probably from smoking most of his life. When you are terminal, anything that comes down the pike can do you in. Forget blame and say "so long, it's been good to know ya. Sorry you are gone, we'll always remember you." Blame, seems to be what we do when anything goes wrong at anytime, anywhere. Blame equals a law suit. Blame is our way of dealing with accidents.

By the way ---- if my child or children were missing from where they were playing, I'd have searched the house first and then the yard and everything in it such as a car. Blame the police who no doubt assumed the parents had searched the immediate area. "Why didn't they look in the trunk. It was right there." No, why didn't one of the parents look at the car, in the car, under the car and in the trunk? More blame. It's a tragic accident. There is no end to blame though, because people need to have some kind of answer for things that hurt, maim or kill their loved ones.

[Horse with no Name]

64. Hmmm I think this is the first time I have ever agreed with you

on anything.
But I disagree on your reasoning.
I think the son was irresponsible in bringing his father home without working out the details first.
You wouldn't bring a baby into a home without formula and diapers and you wouldn't bring a feeble oxygen dependant father home without ensuring electricity or backup tanks.
Something about this story stinks to me.:shrug:

[MadisonProgressive]

73. Does his dad have alot of money - or life insurance?

[benburch]

74. Yes. Here is what stinks;

The son was an irresponsible fuck.

He had a sign to post on the meter, which would have taken maybe a minute to do.

Had he done it, his Dad would be alive now.

[SouthernDem2004]

I think the world may be coming to an end...

You agree with me and so does BenBurch. :)

Maybe I should start going to church. lol :)

[fishnfla]

67. The radio report I heard stated they paid the bill online

The company said the payment would be posted in 2 days, but it was not posted until 4 days

[napi21]

128. I heard the same thing on CNN.

The anchor said the power company has listed on thier site that it would take 2 days to post to the account, but it took four!

I'll tell you my guess....It probably said 2 BUSINESS DAYS! If that bill was paid on Friday night, it souldn't post ofver the weekend which is 2 days, and because Fri night is actually the next business day for banks and lots of companies, the 2 days stated would have been Mon & Tues.

I don't agree with it, bucause a payment can be programmed to post instantly, but I bet that's what happened!

[Imagevision]

135. No, I think these days & times we live in Power Co.'s should be held

accountable when their actions cause death! ... bit that's my opinion

[mondo joe]

141. What do you think the power company should have done differently?

[Kathy in Cambridge]

146. In Massachusetts they can't turn it off if there's a terminally ill person

in the household. There are a few other hardships that fall under protected status. Otherwise, they're ruthless. One month and you're shut off.

But then again, I live in a civilized state. We take care of our old people. I really hope the son sues the electric company.

[xultar]

3. No one was in a vegatative state. That's why.

[FizzFuzz]

125. sorry xultar, that only applies to pretty white women

with families that have enough money to make a stink.

:(

[floridadon]

12. well there is that pay your bill at least once every six months thing.....

They resident was 6 months late on his power bill , Plus he never got around to posting the sign ( on his meter) that the hospital gave him , it clearly states some one is on assisted living at the residence.

There are quite a few avenues you can follow to get assistance with your utility bills some directly from the state of Florida.


Its tragic that a little responsibility could have completely changed the out come of this .

[Media_Lies_Daily]

4. That'll teach those deadbeats! Atta-boy, Jebbie...teach us all the....

...true meaning of compassionate conservatism!

[CoffeeCat]

5. and after the 86-year old man died, because the power was cut....

...local Kathleen city officials bulldozed the house to make way for a Super Target.

Kathleen officials said they didn't know a dead, elderly man was inside the home when they started up the wrecking ball.

Welcome to BushCo America!

[DemoTex]

6. Similar sad story from Greenville, SC, this past winter.

Duke Power shut off the electric service to an elderly widow during one of the coldest weeks of the winter. She froze to death in her home, totally alone.

[fasttense]

7. Stand back, you are going to see more and more of our sick

and elderly dying from not paying their bills.

[benburch]

8. Ummm....

Sorry, but if the son had registered with the power company that a lifesaving appliance was in the home, they would never have cut the power off.

I see this as the son's fault.

He had to have known that he was in arrears.

He had to have gotten a notice in the mail.

He never told the power company.

And worse, Florida power is notoriously unreliable; Storms take it down all the time. Why the FUCK didn't they have a standby oxygen cylinder????

[supernova]

13. Have to agree here

I think by state law here in NC (don't know about FL) but they have to leave the power on if there is life-saving medical equipment in the house.

If the son didn't tell them about it, it's a horrible tragedy all the way around. I feel sorry for them.

[fasttense]

26. Not being sarcastic but does NC consider heat in winter

a lifesaving device? It can get pretty cold in some parts of NC. Would the elderly person who froze to death in SC, have died if the same thing happened in NC?

[supernova]

66. I honestly don't know

if heat qualifies. I'm thinking not. :-( There are always fund drives every year to contribute to the general heating fund for those who can't pay.

[ProfessorGAC]

161. Heat Does Count

Illinois and many cities (including Chicago) probibit the utilities from turning off electric service in the heat of summer or the gas company from shutting that off in the winter. They can petition the city and put the delinquent customers on a list for those who will be shut off as soon as allowable, but they can't just shut the power off when it's 98 and humid or -10.
The Professor

[dsc]

116. In a word, yes

I got my power turned off in Feb for being less than one month late, I hadn't even burned through my deposit. Yes, I should have paid the bill and had forgot but still I was pretty pissed.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

21. When should the son have registered with the power company that a...

lifesaving appliance was in the home? The article stated that the man died one day after he was brought into his son's home.

How long had the son been working on his father's relocation, and did both he and his wife have to go out of town to make that happen?

In some households, only one person has the checkbook and pays the bills...is it possible that the son was that person?

And since this was obviously a new situation all the way around, how the FUCK was he supposed to have known to have a standby oxygen cylinder, and what DAMN good would it have done with the power cut off???

I don't understand some of the posters on DU...I don't guess I ever will.

[benburch]

28. He had a sign to post on the meter.

This would have taken less than a minute.

He didn't do it.

[demgurl]

156. Where is it reported that he had a sign?

I keep seeing it posted but where was it reported in the media? Maybe it was in a different article than the two I read. Thanks.

[knitter4democracy]

45. I agree.

It was all pretty soon. Had the nurses even visited to show him how to hook up the extra tank? Was there even a home nurse? Did they not hook up the extra tank because the son was at work and not even there?

I agree that the power company is not entirely responsible, but the timing was really bad. He probably had the sign and just hadn't gotten to it right away with everything else he was dealing with. He probably was going to call the power company that day when he got home for work. There are all kinds of reasons this shouldn't have happened, but don't blame only the son--it's not all his fault.

[Horse with no Name]

54. It is the son's fault

He shouldn't have removed his Father from the nursing home until his home was 100% safe for his Father.
He should have known how to operate the equipment. The DME companies send Respiratory Therapists to homes to educate the caregivers on how to operate all equipment before they will leave it.

[knitter4democracy]

100. Yes, that's usually true but not always true.

Often, they schedule a home visit after a cursory showing of how to work the equipment. If they're really busy, it might be a day or two before they can come.

You make it sound like the system's perfect and that no one ever suffers or dies because of the medical system. My husband's an internist, and I can tell you on pretty good authority that crap happens. People think they know how to run the stuff when they don't. Stuff breaks. Stuff happens while the primary caregiver is at work and not able to run home right away. Yes, the father might have actually died from other causes, which should come out in an autopsy, but horrible things happen because the system isn't perfect.

[Gormy Cuss]

106. Stop making sense

From the presented facts, it would be difficult to make the case that the power company acted irresponsibly but the hard slam on the son is something I don't understand either.

People screw up. People cope with stress in different ways. People have different levels of intelligence. All of these could explain the unfortunate chain of events, or the son may have intentionally set this up. I'd rather give him the benefit of doubt based on the limited information from a news account.

[ComerPerro]

131. I give the benifit of doubt up until he blames the power company

Sure, they disconnected the power. But he didn't pay the bill. And he didn't tell them that he had emergency equipment connected.

So how could they have known?

[fasttense]

35. I agree the son should have done all that to ensure his father's life.

At the same time, can't the electric company get someone to ring the doorbell (figuratively speaking) before they cut the power off? I mean we are talking life and death here.

[RaleighNCDUer]

51. Because the old man had only been there for one day and he

simply hadn't gotten to it yet?

Maybe dealing with the bureaucracy getting him out of the home was more complicated than expected, so he said "we'll take care of that tomorrow" but tomorrow was too late?

I see it as a coincidence of mistakes leading to tragedy. Obviously, it started with not being able to afford to keep the old man in the nursing home. That's today's economy.

[Another Bill C.]

10. I guess if you're late paying the bill

it's okay to let someone die. I would think this is a case of Reckless Endangerment at best and deserves criminal prosecution.

It looks like Ole Jeb wouldn't have had a problem with the Schiavo case if the hospital had been behind in its electric bill and Terri's life support had been shut off by the power company.

[benburch]

11. They DIDN'T KNOW.

The son never told them.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

25. The father had been in the son's home ONE day.

[benburch]

27. The son had a sign to post on the meter.

And had a whole day to stick it on there.

And he HAD to have known he was in danger of a shutoff before this happened.

His fault.

In fact, I would support charging him with negligence.

[TX-RAT]

108. I would support charging him with negligence.

So would I.
Had the elec comp any idea there was person inside needing oxygen, they would never have pulled the plug.
Had the son payed his bills. they would never have pulled the plug.

The son brought his father into this, knowing his elec was going to be cut off.

[northzax]

15. the company didn't know

from this article, that there was a lifesaving appliance in the home. You have to tell them, I know Pepco here in the DC area has a form to fill out and get signed by a doctor for lifesaving equipment. It can't be reckless endangerment if the company followed its procedures and had no idea there was a sick man in the house.

Also, it takes a lot of effort to have your electricity cut off, I've been as far behind as six months, in DC you have to be served an official notice, they call you multiple times, they leave notices on your door, it doesn't happen because you skipped one payment.

[minerva50]

22. Same in MD

When we took my dad home, the hospice nurse helped us call the power company. They said they would tag our account so that we would have a high piority to get reconnected in the event of a power failure as well.

[Another Bill C.]

32. They didn't ask.

The old man had just been brought home from the hospital.
The son would: (A.) Have to know that he should notify the utility and (B.) Need some time to do the notification.

Cases of people dying when the power is shut off are not so rare that power companies can simply say "we didn't know" and then shrug off the consequences.

[mondo joe]

34. Really? How many people per year die because the electricity is

turned off?

[benburch]

39. Very few.

I know of one in the Chicago area a few years back.

Again, no notification was made.

[Another Bill C.]

113. Here in the North

there are several deaths each winter because people have had their utilities shut off. They usually die because they are using wood, charcoal, or kerosene in space heaters and succumb to carbon monoxide poisoning or fire. Last year, a baby froze to death in his crib because the gas & lights had been shut off. When the outside temperature gets to -40 degrees, the inside temp isn't a whole lot warmer without heat.

The potential for heat-caused death from utilities shutoff was shown in Chicago's 1995 heat wave when power outages occurred. In one week there were 465 heat-related deaths.

I have a limited amout of time to search but:

Utility shutoff leads to child's death in Detroit house fire
http://www.wsws.org/news/1998/dec1998/fire-d05.shtml

http://www.nationalfuelfunds.org/toolkit6.pdf
"The use of unsafe methods of heating and lighting homes is a one of the leading factors in residential fires and fatalities. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), portable and fixed space heaters accounted for roughly two of every three (65%) home heating fires in 1998 and three of every four (76%) associated deaths.

"This week, National Fire Prevention Week, provides us with an opportunity to spotlight the existing energy assistance programs that could help to prevent these home fires and fire related deaths. We know the scenario all too well – unpaid utility bills and arrearages lead to cut-offs and finally, in some instances, the use of dangerous and sometimes deadly methods of providing heat and light in the home."
http://www.nationalfuelfunds.org/toolkit6.pdf

[benburch]

38. He had a sign to stick on the meter.

This would have taken less than a minute.

They go to great lengths to not cut off power in such circumstances.

[northzax]

53. should they look in the window?

break in to find out what's going on? or send a letter saying "if you don't pay by June 25th, we're shutting off your service. Please call XXX.XXX.XXXX if you have any questions or need to establish a payment plan."

He had stickers to put on the meter, and he didn't do it. If he had the stickers, then someone gave them to him and said "call the power company and tell them." he didn't. Bad luck for everyone involved, if anyone is guilty of negligence here, it is the son, not the power company.

[demgurl]

133. In NC they basically turn off your electricity almost

immediately after you miss the payment - we almost had ours turned off for mistakenly being off by about $25 when we paid nearly $200!

[mondo joe]

29. How can you hold the company responsible for something it did not

know and could not know?

[Another Bill C.]

44. Sorry for the debate.

I grew up in a time and place where humanitarian values took precedence over economic values which leaves me quite disoriented in the present world.

[mondo joe]

47. By all means, please explain the system you would find more humanitarian.

[Another Bill C.]

114. It wasn't a system,

it was a community

It was a place where:

If a friend or neighbor couldn't make his house payment, and you could possibly do it, you loaned him the money at no interest and got the money back when he could afford to pay it. Sometimes it was a real hardship for the lender but that's what you did.

When the banker called you to let you know your account balance couldn't cover a check you'd written but he'd hold the check until closing if you could come in and make a deposit.

The boss realized what a hardship it was to be a young widower with kids and let you come in late every day so you could get them up and to a babysitter in the morning.

The mailman knew you were desperately waiting for your tax refund and called you in the morning to let you know he'd be delivering it that day.

If the utilities manager shut off anyone's lights before a collection could be taken up, nobody would speak to him until they were turned back on.

In short, it was a place where people cared for each other. It was probably a product of the 1930s depression and it's unlikely such a place will be again. I suspect the upcoming depression will bring out more gun-toting takers than it will givers.

[mondo joe]

115. What we're left with, then, is what do you think should have been

done differently in this case?

[sunnystarr]

152. I remember those times well ...

It really wasn't that long ago but now it seems like it was on another planet.

[China_cat]

19. You have to let the power company know

and post the stickers. But finding out that information sometimes takes some digging. I'm sorry for that man but he really should have found out about what he needed to do...and then do it...before he took his father home. And he needed to think about what he would do if the power was interrupted by a storm or other power outage. (Insurance would have paid for a generator in his father's instance)

As far as any of it goes, I know nursing homes are expensive but his father really would have been better off being left where he was.

[DS1]

20. Stick A Feeding Tube in him

Works every time

[Bridget Burke]

23. A simple phone call to the power company would have been enough.

The couple was chronically late in paying their bills. This was no surprise to them.

No effort was made to contact the power company to let them know of the situation.

[mondo joe]

24. I doin't expect the power company to have teams of social workers on

the lookout for things like this.

If you don't pay the bills you get notices and then the power is turned off.

It's a tragedy for the family, but I'm not going to fault the power comany.

[floridadon]

36. Its not the power company fault .

They rushed a team back when they got the call that a man on assisted living was in the residence. They had the power back on around 30-40 mins later.



From what is on the news the Father was not in a nursing home , his wife had taken ill and could not take care of him any more. The shame of it was his son clearly was not a very dependable person.


Its seems this happened at the worst possible time. The oxygen system has a back up bat. It must have been depleted during the move, it looks like it did not have time to recharge.

[smbolisnch]

42. This just doesn't add up, sorry.

1. How long did it take for him to die? If he didn't have time to call 911, then it was likely NOT the lack of O2 that killed him. The O2 was more than likely just a comfort measure. If he was that sick, an O2 cannula would not have kept him alive.

2. Why wouldn't he have had a backup cylinder in the house, most home care O2 patients do.

3. Why wouldn't he have called a neighbor and taken his father to a neighbor's house? Or called 911 immediately so that THEY could provide O2?

4. And again, it is most likely that he was going to die anyway, and the electricity being cut off just happened to coincide. A simply O2 mask or cannula would not have been keeping him alive.

Not sure why te electric company is being blamed here, but it unfortunately seems to be someone else's fault, if anyone's.

[dogday]

57. Also They Could Of Manually Bagged him

I am with you, alot of things don't add up here....

[smbolisnch]

60. Exactly.

There is just no reason that he should have died because the power went out. :shrug:

[Horse with no Name]

63. I'm turning into a jaded old broad

but it almost has the feel that the son brought his father home to help alleviate his own financial straits and didn't worry about the details.:shrug:

[smbolisnch]

93. I wonder the same, Sad but true. n/t

[MADem]

118. Yeah, I have to admit I wonder the same thing

No backup tanks? It's HURRICANE season, I'm sure people lose power because of transformers blowing up or downed lines at times--I've lost power a few times in the past year due to storms, and I always pay my bill ahead of time.

Why no Uninterrupted Power Source? Why didn't he call the utility and notify them that he had an oxygen dependent person coming to live at his house? Surely he knew a day or two ahead of time that ole Paw was gonna be released...something seems funny here. And a poor old guy had to die at the end of it all...

[knitter4democracy]

102. Do you know how to do that? Did the family?

Did they have the equipment? Was anyone there with the father? Honestly, the story makes it sound like he was home alone, which would make sense with people working and all and visiting nurses getting their hours cut back.

The system's broken, and this is what happens because of it.

[AirAmFan]

43. Sounds like tweaking hospital procedures for discharging

patients would be the best way to prevent this rare tragedy from recurring in the future.

Sure, relatives of sick people bear the ultimate responsibility for this kind of mishap. But their knowledge of the dangers of lifesaving home equipment is limited, while hospital discharge units and equipment distributors deal with these issues every day. They could give relatives a checklist warning them to call the power company BEFORE they get home, or the discharge unit itself could make the call.

[Horse with no Name]

52. That is true in Texas as well

But you have to provide documentation to the electric company from the physician.
My question would be that I wonder why the man didn't call 911, or if he was unable to use the phone, why the son didn't call 911 and get him immediate treatment until they could get this worked out.
The man should have had enough time for the ambulance to get there and get him back on O2.
However, truly something in this story doesn't make sense.
I'm wondering if the son didn't have a job or something and if that is why the man was taken out of the nursing home. Perhaps they had planned on using the Father's Social Security check to help make ends meet.
But for the life of me, I cannot understand why there wasn't a secondary tank, or why 911 wasn't called, or why the electric company wasn't notified.
I wonder if the elderly man had life insurance?
I'm sorry--I don't feel pity for the son. I feel pity for the elderly man who was as defenseless as a baby.
It was totally irresponsible for the son to remove him from a safe environment and take him to an unsafe environment.
Question the motive. Would you take your oxygen dependent elderly parent into a situation where you KNOW your electricity is going to be disconnected in the short future and you have done nothing to secure their safety?
I sure as hell wouldn't.

[Fovea]

55. Between Ben and MLD

Where was social services?

Ok, so the son was not on the ball. Why is it the son's sole responsibility? Social services should be involved.

What? You say there aint enough funds for social services?
That's right, Halliburton, et al, had to get their additional slice off the top first.

I have immense sympathy for the son. Yeah, if he had been on the ball, this would not have happened. But in a just society, it would not have fallen exclusively in his lap.

Remember Terri Shiavo, and ask yourself if the pretzeldent would fly back from his endless Texas vacation to intervene for this man. Yeah, culture o' life at work.

That is my feeling, at least.

[benburch]

76. I agree there should have been some social work help...

But there also should have been an emergency tank.

What the fuck was the son going to do next hurricane when the power went out?

He would have died then instead of now.

And you cannot tell me that he did not have sixty seconds to tag the power meter.

[drm604]

58. I don't understand something about this.

Years ago before my brother passed away he needed oxygen. When they delivered the oxygen machine to the house they also, at the same time, delivered a backup bottle of oxygen in case the power went out or the machine broke. He was not at that time totally dependent on the oxygen, he could have gone a day or two without it if absolutely necessary, but even so they felt that the backup tank should be available.

This man, apparently, had a constant need for oxygen. Even if the son had payed his bills, electricity still goes out at times and machines occasionally break. Didn't anybody take these possibilities into account?

[ridgerunner]

65. Elderly Man With Emphysema Dies When Company Cuts Power

Kathleen, FL -- A dispute over an electric bill has resulted in the death of an elderly Florida man.

>snip

Richard Howerton's wife says she paid the electric bill on the Internet two days before her father-in-law died. A computer message said the payment would be posted in two days. It took four.

more:http://wfmynews2.com/news/national/national_article.aspx?storyid=43638

[Horse with no Name]

71. If she paid it two days before her father in law died

And he arrived the day before, I wonder why they didn't just make a call to the electric company to avoid any goofups.
That's what I would have done.
I will take back what I said about the son being responsible and hope that the electricity company has lots of money to cover this lawsuit. Fortunately, the son shouldn't have trouble ever paying his light bill again.

[ridgerunner]

82. It takes a big person to admit they were wrong

I admire you for that. As for the other folks in this thread who attacked the son, well, what can I say.

Published Saturday, June 25, 2005

Delinquent Customer's Father Dies After Electricity Shut Off

By Rick Rousos
The Ledger

>snip

Lakeland Electric records show that the Howertons' power was turned off in September 2003. The Howertons vehemently deny that.

But they don't deny being behind in their bills. In the past year, they developed a pattern of being two months behind and paying for a month's worth of their outstanding balance to avoid being shut off.

Richard Howerton said he was declared disabled last year with lung cancer and can't work. Joyce Howerton said she cleans houses for a home health care agency, but broke her hip in late February and returned to work a few weeks ago.

>snip

Joyce Howerton said she paid the bill over the Internet, via the utility's "CheckFree" online option, on June 12 -- two days before John Howerton died. She said an online prompt told her that the payment would be posted in two days, but it took four.

more:http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050625/NEWS/506250381/1004/NEWS08

[mondo joe]

87. I'm interested to see how her claim about paying pans out.

But I still think she and her husband missed the boat on this one.

They knew they were cutting it close, and they knew it was important. When I've cut it that close I always did phone follow up justto make sure - and I didn't have anything like this big a reason.

They also failed to put the sign up or notify the company.

In the end it was bad timing. But I'm not ready to blame the power company for something they could not have known about.

[benburch]

88. And again - Where was the emergency oxygen tank?

I cannot believe they were allowed to leave the hospital without having one.

How would you ever take the old man to the doctor without at least a three hour portable tank?

[medeak]

91. yes! And providers have on call staff to deliver O2 tanks

for such emergencies!

[ridgerunner]

92. They had one

Howerton said his dad began to struggle for breath. Howerton said he was extremely upset as he hooked up a backup oxygen machine, which did not need electricity. Howerton said the machine was useless because his father couldn't inhale, which was necessary for the machine to work.

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050625/NEWS/506250381/1004/NEWS08

[medeak]

94. He was on a CPAP machine .... totally different

forced air into lungs. Usually just used for sleep apnea. This was one sick guy. He should have been taken to hospital immediately.

I don't think the blame should be on the power company. Obviously the son hadn't informed them of the situation.

[ridgerunner]

96. Seems like they were listed

John Howerton's home in Mulberry was listed in Lakeland Electric's Medically Essential Service Program, which serves people who need electricity to power life-sustaining devices. People listed in the program are warned by phone 48 hours before their power is shut off for nonpayment (see box above).

The Howertons said there was no time to get John Howerton onto that list at their home in Kathleen.

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050625/NEWS/506250381/1004/NEWS08

[benburch]

95. So he needed a VENTILATOR not an O2 concentrator.

And they did not have a portable unit or a "bag" to back this up???

[medeak]

98. am with you... this smells funny

[medeak]

99. two hospice nurses were there? He was a no code

so no ambu bag I presume

He was on CPAP through the nose.. it doesn't give breaths but provides a continuous stream of air.

[benburch]

103. Geeze.

But were they just meekly going to let him go the first time there was a storm and the power went out? Or they worked on the lines in the neighborhood?

Sounds to me like a three minute outage would have killed him in that condition.

[knitter4democracy]

104. That makes sense with emphasyma (sp?).

Wow. He's a no-code, brought home from the nursing home to die at home, and he goes earlier than anyone expected because all of the back-ups failed. That's terrible for the family to go through.

[demgurl]

137. According to the article there was an emergency tank.....

The son said it would not work since it requires a person to be able to inhale. I assume he knows what he is talking about since two hospice workers were there when the electricity went out. I am sure they would know how to make it work if he didn't.

[Horse with no Name]

165. Hi demgurl

As you can see, I posted initially on less information than I have now on this situation.
I explained that I was ashamed of myself for jumping to the wrong conclusions in this situation.
Very very sad indeed.

[ComerPerro]

132. But, again, what was his backup in case of an outage

I mean, even if he had paid the bill on time (and, even if they didn't turn it on when they said they would, this wouldn't even be an issue unless he was past due) the power company doesn't provide an uninterruptable power source.

Lets say their is a lightning strike or a pole down, and the power goes out, causing his father to die.

What then? Does the son sue the company, becaue of the power outage caused by a storm?

[demgurl]

138. He had a backup but it did not work.....

the backup requires that you can breathe in and the father could not. So there was backup.

[ComerPerro]

143. So what was the plan during a power outage

Say a storm hits, the power goes out. Nothing anyone can do about it (unless he has a backup generator or something).

Would his dad have just died?

[demgurl]

151. He obviously thought .........

that the backup would work since he tried it when the electricity went out. He had no idea it would not work.

[TWiley]

70. Where are the Church people? No cry of Schaivo?

Maybe death by corporation is acceptabe to God.

[medeak]

84. every concentrator patient has back up tank for power failures

this sounds like an error on oxygen supplier

[demgurl]

139. He did have backup but it could not work...

since his Dad could not breathe in.

[medeak]

153. see above post

he was on CPAP... (continous positive air pressure) it's a stream of pressure that keeps the lungs partially inflated. There's no back up for that..besides mouth to mouth and there was a no code.

IMO...it wasn't the power company's fault..it was the son's decision to take father home from nursing home. He wanted his Dad to die at home and he did.

[demgurl]

154. Oh, I did not see that....

I only saw the article at http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050625/NEWS/506250381/1004/NEWS08

it said:

<snip>
Howerton said his dad began to struggle for breath. Howerton said he was extremely upset as he hooked up a backup oxygen machine, which did not need electricity. Howerton said the machine was useless because his father couldn't inhale, which was necessary for the machine to work.
<snip>

Someone got it wrong somewhere. This article talks about a backup and the fact that there were hostice workers in the home at the time.

So is it for sure he was on CPAP? Why would they have a backup if he was?

[medeak]

155. there is no back up for CPAP

the fact that he was on it 24 hrs a day is truly telling..he shouldn't have been discharged.

(owned a few oxygen home health companies)

[demgurl]

157. I understand you are saying there is no backup.....

I am wondering why the son said his father had backup. I am also wondering why the hospice workers have not come forward to say that the son did not use the backup and there was in fact no backup. If the son is lying when he says he tried to use the backup then they should really call him on it.

I did see where they said : "And he was hooked to an electrically powered apparatus that forced oxygen through his nostrils, a machine that he depended upon to breathe."

The reporter should have consulted with the hospital to make sure the son's statements were correct. They should not report there was backup that would not work when there could not have been backup.

[hnsez]

86. Man arrested for MURDER after not paying power bill

Just wait they will blame it on his poor son

[FormerOstrich]

90. Not all utility companies play nice...

I lived in a rural area. The utility company delivered my information to me on something like the 22nd of the month. The instructions were to read the meter on the 10th of the month and pay by the 20th. I was cool with that and set it aside to wait for the 10th. Only by the 10th they had already pulled the damn meter. Apparently I was suppose to know to read it immediatly and pay the bill because it was already past the 10th.

Well I was reconnected with a $300 deposit. When the guy reconnected me he made a comment that I was like the 4th for the day. So I get to checking and this company did this to everyone!! Years later my mom read something in the news where they were still doing it.

[ComerPerro]

97. What was the son's plan if a storm took the power out?

[JVS]

121. Good question

Did this guy just assume that the power would always go on without fail?

[demgurl]

145. I guess to use the back up oxygen tank the hospital gave him?

It said, in an article, that he had a back up tank and that it would not work since his father could not breathe in. There were two hospice workers there when it happened and I assume they could direct him if he was not operating the tank properly.

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050625/NEWS/506250381/1004/NEWS08

<snip>
Howerton said his dad began to struggle for breath. Howerton said he was extremely upset as he hooked up a backup oxygen machine, which did not need electricity. Howerton said the machine was useless because his father couldn't inhale, which was necessary for the machine to work.
<snip>

[masshole]

109. 12 years in the home O2 business

Nowadays most every home O2 company is JCAHO accredited (if they want Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement anyway), and will provide pretty thorough instruction on the proper use of the equipment and back-up equipment, including providing the "O2 in use" signs AND reminding the family to call the power company.

It sounds as if the man had a O2 conserving device on the back-up tank. These only send out oxygen when it "senses" an inhalation. It doesn't sound to me like he had a ventilator or a cpap machine.
The home O2 company may have determined their response time in case of emergency warranted a conserver, but the prescribing physician would have had to sign off on it too (at least in Mass).

The other thing to keep in mind is that many home O2 companies are in contractual agreements with Hospice organizations - that is ultimately it is the Hospice that is responsible for all patient and family instruction, etc. We don't know what the situation was here.

And normally oxygen is NOT "life-sustaining". It is prescribed as therapy only.

[Miss Chybil]

110. He should have called the power company and told them his father

was there. Of course, the timing was pretty quick. He'd only been there one day. Here in Arizona, if you have sick, elderly, or babies in your home, especially in the summer, you can get help with your bill. If there's a machine, they can't turn the power off.

[Greyhound]

111. I am absolutely stunned by what I'm reading from "progressives" on this...

matter. A utility bill was not paid. A man is dead. What are your values?
:wtf: :cry:

[mondo joe]

112. He's not dead BECAUSE the bill wasn't paid.

It's not as if the power company said "let's kill that non bill paying old man!"

It was bad timing, but the power company didn't do anything TO kill him.

If I have to hold anyone responsible it'd be the son who failedto take the precautions he should have.

[ComerPerro]

124. You are absolutely right

[Pepperbelly]

147. the bill was paid.

You should do a bit more research before condeming other people.

[smbolisnch]

130. For chrissakes-he is not dead b/c there was no power.

If he was on supplemental O2, the family would have had PLENTY of time to take him to a neighbor's, back to the hospital or call 911. He would NOT have died in the time it took to do any of those things b/c of the O2. If he did die in that short amount of time, he would have died with or without the O2!

[Lars39]

117. A few thoughts on the subject...

The man was 86, his son is probably about 66. No telling what kind of
health problems he or his wife has. Add to that the neverending and
sometimes overwhelming round-the-clock-care a terminally ill person
requires, a job that they were still getting used to doing,
remembering medications, etc., all the while facing the fact of a
loved one dying. And hospice usually doesn't stay all the time unless
the end is very near, either.

Is it any wonder something gets
overlooked? Sounds like the guy was trying to do the right thing,
care for his dying dad. :shakes head:

[Horse with no Name]

119. You know Lars

You address a very good point.
Certainly one that jumped over the top of my head.
For some reason--my mental picture that I was drawing of the son was a deadbeat man in his 30's or 40's.
But you are certainly correct.
His son would most likely be in his mid to late 60's himself and most certainly would need assistance as well if he was having difficulty paying his electric bill.
I am ashamed of myself.:(
This story addresses a great need for elderly assistance.

[Lars39]

127. Elderly assistance is right!

We should be asking what kind of safety nets would have helped this
family, and try to get them funded. You're a good soul, Horse. :hug:

[peekaloo]

129. You're a kind person Lars39

My parents live in that area and I'll add that Lakeland Electric are royally screwing the people of Polk County. Mismanagement of their funds and "vision" have left some people struggling to pay their utility bills.

The guy didn't want his dad to die in a nursing home so his heart was in a good place.

[demgurl]

150. Lars39.....

The son had lung cancer and the wife had healed from a broken hip and being out of work. You are right about their situation. I think perhaps, if we were to dig deeper and get better answers, maybe we would find out some things about how under insured all of these people were.

The simple fact is that the poor son had been struggling with lung cancer and the wife had been out of work with a dislocated hip. They had been behind on bill paying because of all of this. God knows what else they had to deal with.

We are liberals and as such we should be looking at this from a human point of view and not a blood sucking neocon point of view. These people were struggling every month and juggling bills and money. They would decide what they could and could not pay just to keep things turned on. It is a sad society we live in when people are having to do this.

Was the electric company responsible? Not really. I do wish, however, that companies would put a check in their system that when a payment is posted that they will hold off turning off electricity until the payment bounces.

The bank person said it themselves:

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050625/NEWS/506250381/1004/NEWS08

<snip>
The utility's position in any bill-paying matter is that the customer has to get the payment to Lakeland Electric by the due date. The payment is credited when it arrives at the utility, not when you put it in the mail or click a mouse. Lakeland Electric officials say that delays in credit for on line billing are mainly because banks take time to disperse money.
<snip>

If the bank knows it could take more than two days, they really should post something like it may take up to five days to post. This still does not make them entirely responsible for what happened, I just wish they would change their wording when customers pay.

If anyone should be sympathetic to a sick person's plight, we should. We are the ones standing up for the poor and sick. When we attack, like this, we are as bad as the rest.

[Vickers]

122. That story is just sad all around...I don't even want to try and place

any blame, I just hope the guy didn't suffer too much.

[madfloridian]

134. Even if up to date and listed as life or death....

you still get cut off.. you just get a knock on the door first. The local news interviewed a rep from the electric company.

I did not see this on front page and posted above.

The man was paying along on the account, and paid it up a few days before online.

So the local electric company will cut you off anyway, but they will knock on the door first to let you know. Maybe it will give an extra day or so.

Very sad.

[Pepperbelly]

144. You people rapping on the guy's son are full of crap.

You just ASSUMED all kinds of shit that wasn't true. For example, you ASSUMED that the son was remiss in not hooking up the backup system. What you failed to frind out before shooting off your mouth in condemnation was that the son DID use the backup but since his father required positive pressure, it didn't work:

"Howerton said his dad began to struggle for breath. Howerton said he was extremely upset as he hooked up a backup oxygen machine, which did not need electricity. Howerton said the machine was useless because his father couldn't inhale, which was necessary for the machine to work."

Furthermore, to those of you defending the fucking utility, consider this:

"The Howertons say a simple knock on the door to warn that the power was being cut off could have changed everything. But utility workers who cut people off say such a warning would considerably cut into their productivity and that they'd have to be accompanied by police because many customers about to be cut off are angry."

Police? Maybe legitimate but cutting into their productivity? Give me a BREAK!

In addition, why wasn't he on the list?

"John Howerton's home in Mulberry was listed in Lakeland Electric's Medically Essential Service Program, which serves people who need electricity to power life-sustaining devices. People listed in the program are warned by phone 48 hours before their power is shut off for nonpayment (see box above).

The Howertons said there was no time to get John Howerton onto that list at their home in Kathleen."

What we have is a family in desperate need trying to do the best they can in George Bush's America. Were they remiss? No, they were not.

"Richard Howerton said he was declared disabled last year with lung cancer and can't work. Joyce Howerton said she cleans houses for a home health care agency, but broke her hip in late February and returned to work a few weeks ago.

Were they remiss? No, they were not.

"A May 27 bill showed a balance of $384. Of that balance, $181 had to be paid by June 13 'to avoid disconnection.'

Lakeland Electric records show that a $185 payment was posted on June 16, two days after John Howerton died. Joyce Howerton said she paid the bill over the Internet, via the utility's "CheckFree" online option, on June 12 -- two days before John Howerton died. She said an online prompt told her that the payment would be posted in two days, but it took four."

So they had paid the fucking bill.

I am deeply ashamed of the so-called progressives here who leap to the defense of corporate pigs. You know who you are.

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050625/NEWS/506250381/1021

edited for a massive c & p error.

[NorthernSpy]

166. some people just LOVE sticking it to the working class...

Our political fortunes would improve fabulously if we could just purge ourselves of the lifestyle scolds and the enlightened snobs and the knee-jerk hostility they rain down on everyone who's outside their own pseudoLeft subculture.

[jbnow]

148. Sad all around, but here is more info

The backup oxygen machine didn't help because he couldn't inhale.
They thought the electricity payment was resolved before they brought the father home. They paid the amount to prevent the cut off on line, being told by an employee it would be credited by the deadline. It wasn't.
They were chronically late on bills. The son has lung cancer and gets disability. The wife was off work until a few weeks ago because of a broken hip.
Hospice nurses were there at the time the power was cut. They knew he was dying, they did not want him to die in a nursing home after his wife broke a vertebra and suddenly couldn't care for him.

It sounds like they were trying to do it all right. Let's be slower to judge. Since it all took place suddenly the home wasn't on the list that required warning before power was cut. They should have...we aren't perfect.
The company didn't officially know and the worker who cut the power didn't know they were told the payment would be credited in time to prevent it.

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050625/NEWS/506250381/1021/LIFE

[lildreamer316]

149. READ THIS AGAIN please.

"Richard Howerton said he was declared disabled last year with lung cancer and can't work. Joyce Howerton said she cleans houses for a home health care agency, but broke her hip in late February and returned to work a few weeks ago."

HELLO.

You ppl are making me sick.
To assume makes an ASS of you and me.

[kikiek]

162. I don't understand why they didn't call 911 for an ambulance. His

subsequent respiratory distress would certainly merit a call and transportation to a hospital. The rescue and ambulance would have had O2.

[lpbk2713]

164. Read some of the posts above.....

He needed a respirator to force air into his lungs. Most ambulances aren't equipped with respirators. His condition must have been fairly advanced since he didn't survive very long after the power went out.

[kikiek]

167. If it was jst a c pap they sure could have hooked it up via the rig

I am not going to argue the merits of the case. There is plenty of blame to go around it sounds like. With emphysema the gas exchange doesn't occur. Actually too much O2 can kill them too.