Minnesota state investigators have found an assisted living facility, Covered Bridge Assisted Living in Holdingford, responsible for neglect after staff provided a mentally ill resident with a significant amount of alcohol in the 24 hours preceding a doctor's appointment. The resident, Don Brambrink, missed his scheduled telehealth appointment due to excessive drinking.
According to an investigative report from the Minnesota Department of Health, a registered nurse at the facility stated Brambrink was "dead to the world" after consuming alcohol while fishing. The report detailed the timeline of alcohol distribution, including two shots at 6:54 p.m. and 8 p.m., and another two at 9:20 p.m. the night before his appointment. The morning of the appointment, he received two shots at 3:55 a.m., a beer at 5 a.m., two shots at 5:55 a.m., two more at 8:15 a.m., two at 9:15 a.m., two at 10:55 a.m., and a final two shots at 12:30 p.m.
Brambrink's primary care physician's office contacted the facility to request vital signs, but the RN reported finding Brambrink on the floor, feeling unwell. He was subsequently transported to the emergency room. Hospital staff recommended he be admitted overnight for evaluation for alcohol withdrawal, but Brambrink reportedly refused, stating he preferred to "go home and continue to drink." His blood alcohol level was found to be 0.23%, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08%.
The report indicated Brambrink has multiple mental health diagnoses, including psychoactive substance abuse and anxiety. His history includes hearing voices for 40 years, homelessness, daily alcohol use, and past meth use. A care plan at the facility reportedly stipulated two shots of alcohol per hour for Brambrink, intended to help him "drown out the voices."
Covered Bridge's owner, Trista Barstow, defended the facility's practices in an interview with FOX 9, stating that the facility accepts residents with severe alcoholism and that monitoring and spacing out alcohol consumption is an improvement. She intends to appeal the state's finding of neglect, asserting that the facility's policies and care planning demonstrate a commitment to resident safety and rights. Barstow emphasized that competent adult residents have the right to make lawful personal choices, including alcohol consumption, and that the facility's role is to educate, assess, monitor, and respond when intervention is needed.
Fox News Digital reached out to Covered Bridge and the Minnesota Department of Health for further comment.