Woman discovers uncle had been dead for days at independent living center

SUN CITY, Ariz. — An Arizona woman said she discovered that her uncle had been dead “for days” when she visited him at the senior independent living center where the man lived.

Angela Boorn told KTVK that she visited LifeStream at Sun City on Oct. 16 and found her uncle, Gerald McClellan, unresponsive, sitting in his chair.

According to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, the 75-year-old man had apparently been dead for several days.

“It looked like a skeleton in a chair,” Boorn said. ”The face, the eyes were hollowed out.“

McClellan moved into a studio apartment at the complex in January after his wife died, Boorn said. The cost was $1,750 per month.

She added that she had been told that all residents had to push a button in their apartment by 10 a.m. daily, a practice common in most independent living facilities.

“Every day by 10 a.m., or a staffing member was supposed to reach out to him or come check on him,” Boorn said.

That apparently did not happen.

“I just remember running out of the room and running to the front desk and just asking her when was the last time you checked on him,” Boorn said.

Boorn said that LifeStream’s executive director told her that no one had seen McClellan since the previous weekend.

The answer did not satisfy Boorn.

“He didn’t push the button; they tried to call him, didn’t get a hold of him and still did not go check on him,” she said. “It wasn’t one day, it wasn’t two days, it wasn’t three days, it was four.”

In a statement, LifeStream said it was “deeply saddened” about McClellan’s death.

“Our heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to their family and loved ones during this difficult time,” the statement read. “Out of respect for the family’s privacy, we are not sharing further details at this time. We extend our sincere gratitude to emergency responders for their compassion, professionalism, and support.”

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