A woman has filed a lawsuit seeking compensation from MultiCare Auburn Medical Center, claiming the hospital allegedly neglected her 76-year-old husband, who has dementia, when he left the hospital while under their care and was found by police nine miles away.

On May 13, Marcene and Gary Lay filed a lawsuit for personal injuries and damages against MultiCare Auburn Medical Center, 202 North Division Street.

According to the lawsuit, on June 14, 2024, Gary Lay, 76, was allowed to leave the hospital on his own despite staff knowing he had dementia and that he was not permitted to wander unsupervised. The lawsuit alleges that Gary Lay was admitted to the hospital at about 7:30 p.m., and at 11 p.m., he walked out of the hospital and was seen by staff, but they did not intervene.

According to the lawsuit, the hospital did not file a missing person report, nor did they request a Silver Alert. A Silver Alert is a missing person alert to help locate persons who are over 60 years old, missing, in danger because of age, physical or mental health, or weather conditions, and are not able to return to safety without assistance.

According to the lawsuit, at about 9:30 a.m. June 15, 2024, a resident called 911, reporting that they had seen Gary Lay disoriented in the vicinity of 31419 East Morton Drive Southeast in Kent. During the approximately 10 and a half hours that Gary Lay left the hospital, he had walked at least nine miles.

“Police and fire personnel responded. Plaintiff Gary Lay was barely communicative and was unable to effectively communicate his whereabouts, origin, or destination,” the lawsuit alleges. “They only connected him with Defendant MultiCare due to Plaintiff Gary Lay having a hospital admission bracelet.”

According to the lawsuit, as a result of the hospital’s failure to provide adequate care, Gary Lay suffered physical injuries, emotional distress, medical expenses and other damages. The lawsuit stated that the hospital owed a duty to Gary Lay to provide safe medical care, and they breached that duty by not ensuring that he was supervised, monitored or protected with adequate safety measures.

According to the lawsuit, Gary Lay was known to wander away without supervision. Marcene and Gary Lays seek a judgment against the hospital for such sums of money as will reasonably and justly compensate them for the damages. Additionally, the lawsuit stated that they are also seeking attorney fees and costs, treble damages, and prejudgment interest.

According to a MultiCare spokesperson, they are unable to comment at this time.

“MultiCare’s commitment to our mission – partnering for healing and a healthy future – is unwavering. We have no higher priority than the health and safety of every patient in our care,” a MultiCare spokesperson told the Auburn Reporter. “Since this is ongoing litigation, we’re unable to comment at this time.”