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A KFF Health News investigation reports that Marjorie Tingley’s sons disputed a Michigan memory-care facility’s request to use antipsychotic medication after staff logged repeated incidents of her hitting or kicking aides. Tingley was taken to the emergency room eight times before her family arranged a new placement; her sons’ lawsuit alleges the facility used the trips in retaliation, an allegation the facility denies. A trial on the remaining claims is scheduled for early next year if mediation fails.
Marjorie Tingley’s sons disputed a Michigan memory-care facility’s request to give their mother antipsychotic medication after staff documented repeated incidents of her striking aides, according to a KFF Health News report. Tingley was taken to the emergency room eight times before she left the facility; her sons allege in a pending lawsuit that the trips were retaliatory, while the facility denies the allegations.
In December 2024, Vista Grande Villa, a senior living community in Michigan, emailed Tingley’s adult sons saying their 85-year-old mother posed a major safety threat. Facility behavior logs recorded that on at least 10 days in the prior month, she hit, kicked or elbowed aides helping her change briefs, get dressed, bathe or use the bathroom. The facility sought the family’s permission to sedate her, KFF Health News reported.
The dispute continued into the new year as the family alternately agreed to and resisted medication, according to the report. Vista Grande called 911 after altercations, and medical and facility records reviewed by KFF Health News show Tingley went to the emergency room eight times. After four trips, the facility issued a 30-day eviction notice; she was sent to the hospital four more times while her family arranged another placement. Tingley died at a different facility in January 2025. Her reported cause of death was plaque buildup in her brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.
Her five sons sued Vista Grande and its director at the time, alleging negligence, emotional distress and wrongful eviction. The suit also alleges the facility arranged emergency-room trips in retaliation for disagreements over her care. Vista Grande and the director deny the allegations. In a legal filing, the facility said the recommended drugs were “routine medication” and that Tingley was sent to hospital “because of her family’s refusal to allow Ms. Tingley to be treated on site.” A judge dismissed the negligence claim on legal grounds; the remaining claims are scheduled for trial early next year if mediation does not resolve the case.
Medication Disputes Can Threaten Placement
The case illustrates the difficult choices families may face when a person with dementia becomes agitated: medication may be proposed to address immediate safety concerns, while declining it can intensify conflict with a care provider. KFF Health News reported that some families and guardians believe the benefits outweigh the risks, while others worry about sedating a relative or the effects of the drugs.
The medication issue also has broader relevance. The Food and Drug Administration requires warnings that antipsychotic drugs increase the chance of death among older people with Alzheimer’s and similar diseases. The report cites risks including delirium, falls and hospitalizations from antipsychotics and other brain-altering medications. Those risks must be weighed against documented behavioral incidents and the safety of residents and staff; the records and allegations in this case do not establish that medication would have prevented the incidents or that the facility acted in retaliation.
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A Long Campaign Against Overprescribing
Diseases that cause dementia can affect the brain systems involved in impulse control and perception. As KFF Health News explains, a person may react aggressively out of fear, including when they no longer recognize a caregiver, or because they cannot communicate pain, hunger or another need. Incidents can endanger the person, other residents and staff, and can be difficult for care facilities to manage.
The report says the federal government has worked for years to reduce inappropriate use of antipsychotic medications in long-term care. In 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched its Partnership to Improve Dementia Care. A JAMA study cited by KFF estimated that one in four Medicare beneficiaries with dementia may be inappropriately prescribed antipsychotics or other brain-altering drugs. The report also states that, excluding people with schizophrenia, antipsychotics were given to one in seven nursing-home residents in 2025. These figures concern different populations and should not be treated as directly interchangeable.
Vista Grande was a nonprofit when the events occurred. Earlier this year, it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Otterbein SeniorLife and was renamed Otterbein Jackson SeniorLife Community. Otterbein is not named in the lawsuit, and the organization did not respond to KFF Health News’ request for comment.
““They just wanted to have her drugged up. It’s a lot easier to take care of someone who’s just out of it.””
— David Tingley, one of Marjorie Tingley’s sons, in an interview with KFF Health News
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The Lawsuit’s Remaining Questions
The remaining lawsuit claims have not been decided. The negligence claim was dismissed on legal grounds, but the court has not, based on the information in the report, resolved the family’s claims of emotional distress, wrongful eviction or retaliatory emergency-room trips. Vista Grande and its former director deny the allegations.
The available account also does not establish what specific medication or dose was proposed, whether Tingley received antipsychotics, or what clinical assessments informed the facility’s request. It is not clear whether mediation will settle the remaining claims or whether a trial will proceed as scheduled. The facility’s attorneys and former director did not respond to KFF Health News’ requests for comment.
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Mediation Before a Scheduled Trial
The next step is mediation, according to the report. If it does not resolve the case, a trial on the remaining claims is scheduled for early next year. Any eventual court findings could clarify how the facility and family handled the medication dispute and the hospital visits, but the allegations remain unproven unless resolved by a settlement or court decision.
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Key Questions
Why did Vista Grande seek permission to medicate Marjorie Tingley?
The facility told her sons she posed a safety threat. Its behavior logs recorded that she hit, kicked or elbowed aides on at least 10 days in the month before the December 2024 email, while they were helping with personal care.
Did Tingley’s family allege that the facility retaliated against them?
Yes. Her sons’ lawsuit alleges Vista Grande arranged emergency-room trips in retaliation for disagreements about her care. Vista Grande and its former director deny the allegations, which have not been established in court.
What happened to the lawsuit?
A judge dismissed the negligence claim on legal grounds. The remaining claims are scheduled for trial early next year if mediation does not settle the dispute.
What is known about antipsychotic risks for older people with dementia?
The report says FDA-required warnings state that antipsychotics increase the chance of death among older people with Alzheimer’s and similar diseases. It also cites risks associated with antipsychotics and other brain-altering medications, including delirium, falls and hospitalizations. The specific medication proposed for Tingley is not identified in the supplied report.
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