A Lawrence County personal care administrator will serve up to three years in prison for failing to renew a resident’s medications, which led to a fatal seizure in 2021.
Kelly R. Gonzales, 50, of New Castle, was convicted at trial in February of neglect of a care-dependent person and endangering the welfare of a care-dependent person — both felonies.
Lawrence County President Judge Craig J. Cox sentenced Gonzales to one to three years incarceration. Gonzales was also ordered to pay $5,093 in restitution, and is prohibited from serving in a personal care capacity while on supervision.
“This is a heartbreaking case not only due to the loss of life, but because this death was preventable,” Attorney General Sunday said. “This was, pure and simple, a catastrophic failure of duty to protect and care for a patient whose life depended on prescription medication. We commend the jury for their attention to this very important matter, and agree with the sentencing Court’s assessment that the conduct warrants incarceration.”
Gonzales was the administrator at ARC, a personal care home in New Castle, where she was tasked with management of residents’ care. Those duties included making sure residents received their prescribed medication in a timely manner. The victim was a resident prescribed anti-seizure medication.
According to evidence presented by the Office of Attorney General, Gonzales did not fill the prescription or instruct colleagues to do so, knowing the prescription had run out. Further testimony revealed that two of Gonzales’ colleagues instructed her to take the resident to the emergency room to have his medication filled, but she never did.
The resident died at the care home on Dec. 2, 2021, after not receiving his medication for over 10 days.
