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The sons of Marjorie Tingley allege that a Michigan memory care facility pushed antipsychotic medication and sent their mother to emergency rooms in retaliation when they objected. The facility denies the claims, and a trial on the remaining parts of the lawsuit is scheduled for early next year if mediation fails.
The sons of Marjorie Tingley allege that a Michigan memory care facility repeatedly sent their mother to emergency rooms and eventually evicted her after they disputed its requests to use antipsychotic medication to manage her dementia-related agitation. Vista Grande Villa and its former director deny the allegations; a trial on the remaining claims is scheduled for early next year if mediation does not resolve the case.
Vista Grande emailed Tingley’s sons in December 2024, describing their 85-year-old mother as a safety threat, according to records reviewed by KFF Health News. Facility behavior logs said she had hit, kicked or elbowed aides on at least 10 days in the prior month while they helped with dressing, bathing, toileting or changing briefs. The facility sought the family’s permission to medicate her.
Records show Tingley was taken to an emergency room eight times after incidents at the facility. Her family’s pending lawsuit alleges that some trips were initiated in retaliation for disagreements over her care. After four trips, Vista Grande issued a 30-day eviction notice; hospital records show four additional visits while her family sought 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.
The family’s lawsuit accuses Vista Grande and its director at the time of negligence, emotional distress and wrongful eviction, and alleges retaliatory hospital transfers. A Michigan Circuit Court judge dismissed the negligence claim on legal grounds. In a court filing, Vista Grande described the recommended drugs as “routine medication” and said it sent Tingley to hospital because her family refused treatment at the facility. The defendants deny the family’s allegations.
Medication Disputes Can Threaten Placement
The dispute illustrates the difficult decisions families may face when dementia-related behavior creates risks for residents and care staff. Antipsychotic drugs carry serious risks for older people with Alzheimer’s: the Food and Drug Administration requires warnings that the medications increase the chance of death in older adults with Alzheimer’s and similar diseases. Other brain-altering drugs can contribute to delirium, falls and hospitalizations.
KFF Health News cited a JAMA study estimating that one in four Medicare beneficiaries with dementia may be inappropriately prescribed antipsychotics or other brain-altering medications. That estimate does not establish what medication Tingley received or whether any specific treatment caused harm. The case also reflects the pressure on families who must weigh medication concerns against the possibility that a facility will say it cannot safely care for a loved one.
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A Long Campaign Over Dementia Drugs
Dementia can affect impulse control and perception. People may react aggressively when frightened, when they do not recognize caregivers, or when they cannot communicate pain, hunger or another need. Such incidents can put both residents and care workers at risk, particularly in memory care settings.
Federal efforts to reduce inappropriate antipsychotic use in dementia care date to 2012, when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched its Partnership to Improve Dementia Care. The campaign has reduced antipsychotic use in nursing homes, though KFF’s source report said that, excluding residents with schizophrenia, antipsychotics were still given to one in seven nursing home residents in 2025. Antipsychotics are approved by the FDA primarily to treat schizophrenia.
Vista Grande was a nonprofit when the events occurred. Earlier in 2026, it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Otterbein SeniorLife and was renamed Otterbein Jackson SeniorLife Community. Otterbein is not named in the lawsuit.
““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, Marjorie Tingley’s son, in an interview with KFF Health News
Court Has Not Resolved Remaining Claims
The lawsuit’s remaining claims have not been decided. Vista Grande and its former director deny the family’s allegations, and a judge dismissed the negligence claim on legal grounds; the available account does not say the court resolved the disputed account of the emergency room visits or the eviction. The facility’s attorneys and former director did not respond to KFF Health News’ requests for comment.
The source report does not specify which drugs were ultimately administered to Tingley, how often she received them, or what alternatives were tried. It also does not establish that medication caused her death. Otterbein, which acquired the facility after the events, did not respond to a request for comment and is not named in the suit.
Mediation Could Precede Trial
A trial is scheduled for early next year on the remaining portions of the family’s lawsuit if mediation fails. The case could still be resolved before trial. The court proceedings may address the family’s claims about the facility’s actions and the defendants’ denials; no outcome has been reported.
Key Questions
What does Marjorie Tingley’s family allege?
Her sons allege that Vista Grande Villa sought to medicate her against their wishes, sent her to emergency rooms in retaliation for their disagreements, and wrongfully evicted her. The facility and its former director deny the allegations.
Did a court find that Vista Grande retaliated against the family?
No such finding is reported. A Michigan judge dismissed the negligence claim on legal grounds, while the remaining claims are pending.
What is known about Tingley’s emergency room visits?
Medical and facility records cited by KFF Health News show that Tingley was taken to an emergency room eight times after incidents at the memory care facility. The family alleges the transfers were retaliatory; Vista Grande said in a legal filing that it sent her to hospital because the family refused on-site treatment.
When could the case go to trial?
A trial on the remaining claims is scheduled for early next year if mediation fails. The source report does not give a more specific date.
Source: rss
