A Thermopolis woman is accused of neglecting an elderly man with cerebral palsy in her care who’s deaf, mostly blind, weighs 87 pounds and was wearing adult diapers that hadn’t been changed in 10-14 days.
Colleen Blakesley, born in 1958, had her initial appearance in Hot Springs County Circuit Court on Friday on a felony charge of intentional neglect of a vulnerable adult, according to court records.
The man’s condition came to the attention of the Thermopolis Police Department on Feb. 24 when a doctor doing a home visit for the man reported his condition to the Department of Family Services, according to an affidavit of probable cause by Sgt. Nicole Andersen filed in the case.
Andersen and a DFS agent “received a complaint regarding an elderly male being neglected,” the affidavit says. “The complaint included that the male, who wears diapers, had not been changed for 10-14 days. This complaint came from a trained professional.”
They arrived to be hit with “a pungent, strong, foul smell in the home, although the living room area seemed relatively clean,” the affidavit says. “At this time, the victim … was in clean clothes.”
The elderly man isn’t vocal, and a family member told Andersen that he’s deaf, nearly blind and that they communicate with him by tracing letters in his hand, she wrote.
“I observed Robert was very skinny and not mobile,” she added, later documenting that at the hospital, the man “weighed approximately 87 pounds at the time of admission.”
‘Extremely Soiled’
Blakesley is the legal caregiver for the man, Andersen wrote, adding that Blakesley said he was last changed three days before.
“Upon speaking with Colleen, she advised she had last changed his diaper on Sunday afternoon, but also stated that he had been in the clothing he was observed in by the complainant for approximately two weeks due to him being combative and her not being able to change him,” according to the affidavit.
Blakesley also told police she was aware that the man had multiple sores on his body and had not seen a doctor since August 2024.
While Andersen observed the man in clean clothes, that wasn’t the case when the visiting doctor was at the home earlier that day, the affidavit says. The doctor also provided a photo of the man’s condition.
“In this photo, I observed (the man’s) pants to be extremely soiled and having the appearance of being wet, along with stains on his shirt — to include what appears to be staining near the bottom of the shirt of urine, feces, or both,” the affidavit says.
At The Hospital
As the man was transported to a local hospital by ambulance, “I was advised that his condition was highly concerning to both EMS staff and the doctor,” Sergeant Andersen wrote. “I took photos of his wounds while in the hospital while wearing protective gear as there was a concern of scabies.”
At the hospital, the elderly man was given a diagnosis of elder neglect, as well as having a laundry list of other ailments, including:
• Decubitus ulcers, which are localized damage to skin and tissue caused by prolonged pressure or compression.
• Scabies
• Dehydration
• Anemia
• Electrolyte abnormality
• Acute kidney injury
• Pneumonia
• Urinary tract infection
• Intra-abdominal infection
“The hospital also was able to confirm that the last time (the man) was seen by a doctor was on Aug. 1, 2024,” the affidavit says, adding that Blakesley confirmed she knew that was his last visit.
Blakesley also had an explanation for some of the wounds the man had.
“Colleen advised that approximately three or four days prior, while attempting to put (the man) in his wheelchair from his bed, that he fell and hit his head on the brake on the wheel of his wheelchair, skinning his arms and causing a hematoma on his forehead,” the affidavit says.
She also reportedly told police he was not seen by a doctor after the fall.
Blakesley remains at the Hot Springs County Detention Center and could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 if convicted.
Greg Johnson can be reached at greg@cowboystatedaily.com.
