Sheriff Looks Into Death of Elderly Woman

Sheriff’s officials are investigating the death of a woman who was hospitalized after alleged neglect at a now-closed board-and-care facility, authorities said Friday.

The unidentified elderly woman was taken to the hospital about a month after she was admitted with a single, pinkish bedsore April 15 to a residential care facility operated by Grazyna (Grace) Baran.

By the time she reached a doctor’s care, the bedsore had worsened and exposed her tailbone, according to a complaint filed by the state Department of Social Services. Other deep sores pocked her ankles, elbows and heels. She also had a gash on one cheek, a bruised arm and urinary tract infection.

Within the week, sources said, she was dead.

Her death--and the fact that the care facility had not reported her husband’s April 23 heart attack death to state licensers--prompted state social service officials to close Baran’s four facilities June 4.

She and her lawyers have until June 19 to file a response to the state complaint before facing an administrative hearing at which her license could be revoked. Baran’s license was suspended the day the facilities were closed.

Because state regulators only have authority over licensing, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department has also opened a criminal investigation into the woman’s death. The husband’s death is not being investigated.

“The [wife’s] death is suspicious,” said Capt. Bill Montijo of the sheriff’s major crimes unit. “Elder abuse is probably what we’re looking at. But the [district attorney] could pursue any number of charges--a homicide, whether negligent or manslaughter; it could even be murder--but we don’t think it is,” Montijo said.

Baran could not be reached for comment Friday, and her attorney would not discuss the matter because it is under investigation.

“We wouldn’t have any comment at this point in time,” attorney Mike Levin said. “Certainly, if the matter is the subject of any investigation, or the subject of any civil or other type of proceeding, it would not be appropriate for me to comment.”

Two major crimes investigators are pursuing the elderly woman’s death, Montijo said.

“We hope to conclude our investigation next week sometime,” Montijo said. “After that, we’ll present it to the district attorney and see if a crime has been committed.”

Ventura County’s long-term care ombudsman, whose volunteers inspected the board-and-care centers monthly, said there was no reason to suspect any of Baran’s facilities had problems.

Baran and her family members “have always had very clean facilities,” said Suzan Neely, the assistant administrator of Long Term Care Services of Ventura County Inc. “The people all appeared well-cared for. The food was very good. . . . We’re shocked. This is really unusual. This never happens in this county.”

The arrival, hospitalization and death of the woman occurred quickly, sandwiching between monthly ombudsman visits, Neely said.

“She was a very old woman,” Neely said. “She was in very bad shape when she went into the hospital.”

The ombudsman’s office, sheriff’s deputies and social service workers were all present June 4, when Baran’s four homes were shuttered. In all, 20 residents, most in their 80s or older, were relocated to their family homes or board-and-care facilities in Ventura or Los Angeles County by that evening.

The deceased couple lived at the facility at 59 Doone St. in Thousand Oaks’ Shadow Oaks neighborhood, but Baran’s three other facilities were also closed as a precaution. Two nearby facilities operated by Baran’s parents, Ted and Halina Baranski of Thousand Oaks, remain open. One of the two is next door to the two shuttered Doone Street facilities.

Ventura County is home to 99 residential care facilities for the elderly, 25 of them in Thousand Oaks.

Before the closures, the half-dozen, six-bedroom homes operated by Baran and her family each charged about $3,000 per person monthly to care for elderly wheelchair-bound people.

“The homes are definitely for-profit,” Neely said. “But, until this, you would find that the residents and the families were very happy with the arrangement.”