Jenison home shuts down after resident death in October

Ken Kolker
·3 min read

GEORGETOWN TWP. — An adult foster care home in Jenison has agreed to close its doors after all, in response to the death of an 83-year-old resident who wandered outside and was found in the cold seven hours later.

According to state records obtained by WOOD-TV, operators of the home, known as American House Senior Living Jenison Cherrywood, agreed to shut down by Saturday.

But on Thursday, three months after the death of Calvin Powers, the 20-bed memory care home was already empty.

Powers was a former country singer, grandfather of 13 and great-grandfather of 20, who suffered delusions and hallucinations. He managed to walk outside in October, unnoticed, a short time after pulling a fire alarm. His body was found seven hours later on a rainy, 49-degree night.

An adult foster care home in Jenison has agreed to close its doors after all, in response to the death of an 83-year-old resident who wandered outside and was found in the cold seven hours later.
An adult foster care home in Jenison has agreed to close its doors after all, in response to the death of an 83-year-old resident who wandered outside and was found in the cold seven hours later.

A state investigator recommended closing the home in response to his death. The home's owners appealed, but ultimately agreed to close.

“It’s a good step,” said Patricia Skrabis, whose mother died in 2021 after a fall at one of American House’s other homes in Jenison. “Unfortunately, I think it’s too little, too late.”

Since the death of her mother, Skrabis has pushed for state legislation, known as Theresa’s Law, to make adult foster care homes safer. That legislation is pending.

More: Jenison home cited for resident's death will remain open, for now

“It’s terribly sad that situations become this dire — a horrific death and the closing of a facility,” Skrabis said. “Our hearts break for the family of Calvin Powers and all those impacted.”

In an agreement with the state, American House Senior Living said it won't seek a new license for the home for five years.

The company’s regional vice president of operations, Rhonda Hieber, told WOOD TV-8 via email staff moved the remaining seven residents into other homes in Jenison earlier this month.

The company, based in Toledo, operates five other homes at the campus off Cottonwood Drive in Jenison.

The state’s report on Powers’ death cited the home for being understaffed and failing to train an employee on resetting the door alarm. Workers admitted not checking on Powers’ room every two hours as required.

Powers’ “protection and safety was not attended to and likely led to his demise,” the state investigator wrote.

“There are major systemic issues in assisted living, in the assisted living industry, lack of accountability, lack of training and education of the direct care workforce, and lack of transparency,” Skrabis said.

Ghyslaine Mapendo, 23, a former med tech at Cherrywood, told WOOD she was the only trained person working that night and was busy training two new workers.

“They give me two people that don’t have experience ... ” she said. “I was only one med tech, so (it) was too much for me that day.”

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Powers’ son, Rob, said the way his father died was “unacceptable."

“I will be an advocate for my dad and will not allow him to die in vain,” he said.

The home is one of 18 adult foster care homes operated by American House in Kent and Ottawa. Seven of the 18 have been cited for understaffing over the last two years. The company also operates a much larger home for the aged, American House Wyoming, which was cited for being understaffed two years ago.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Jenison home shuts down after resident death in October