State health investigators say Covered Bridge Assisted Living in Holdingford supplied resident Don Brambrink with a series of alcoholic drinks—totaling 18 shots plus a beer—in the 24 hours before a scheduled telehealth appointment and concluded the facility was responsible for neglect. Brambrink missed the appointment after drinking while fishing and was later found unresponsive; his blood alcohol concentration measured 0.23%. Hospital staff recommended overnight observation for possible alcohol withdrawal, but Brambrink refused to stay. The facility's owner defended the home's approach and said it will appeal the cited deficiency.
Investigators: Minnesota Assisted Living Gave Resident 18 Shots and Early-Morning Beer Before Doctor Visit; Facility Cited for Neglect
A mature man passed out at a bar from too much drink. Man is laying face down, shot glasses and liquid spilled on the bar.
State investigators with the Minnesota Department of Health found that staff at Covered Bridge Assisted Living in Holdingford provided a mentally ill resident with a large quantity of alcohol in the 24 hours before a scheduled telehealth medical appointment, concluding the facility was responsible for neglect, according to an investigative summary reported by FOX 9 Minneapolis.
The resident, identified in the report as Don Brambrink, missed the telehealth visit after drinking heavily while fishing. The facility's registered nurse told investigators Brambrink was later found "dead to the world" after the episode, the report states.
Minnesota man Don Brambrink had 18 shots in the 24 hours before a scheduled doctor's appointment.
Detailed Timeline
The department's investigative summary lists the following timeline of alcohol given to Brambrink in the 24 hours before the appointment:
- Night before: two shots at 6:54 p.m., two shots at 8:00 p.m., and two shots at 9:20 p.m.
- Morning of appointment: two shots at 3:55 a.m., a beer at 5:00 a.m., two shots at 5:55 a.m., two shots at 8:15 a.m., two shots at 9:15 a.m., two shots at 10:55 a.m., and two shots at 12:30 p.m.
After the resident missed the telehealth appointment, his primary care physician requested he be taken to the emergency room. When the PCP's office called back asking staff to take Brambrink's vital signs, the RN reported the resident was found down on the floor and that he "didn't feel right." He was transported to the emergency department shortly thereafter.
Brambrink's blood alcohol level (BAC) was reportedly 0.23%
Hospital testing recorded Brambrink's blood alcohol concentration at 0.23%, nearly three times Minnesota's legal driving limit of 0.08%. Clinicians recommended overnight observation for possible alcohol withdrawal, but the resident declined, telling staff he "would rather go home and continue to drink," the report says.
Background and Facility Response
The investigative document notes Brambrink had multiple mental health diagnoses, including psychoactive substance abuse and anxiety, and a long history of hearing voices. He reportedly drank daily and had prior homelessness and methamphetamine use.
The report also says Covered Bridge maintained a typed "alcohol plan" for Brambrink that specified giving him two shots per hour, reportedly because he was "trying to drown out the voices."
Facility statement: Covered Bridge owner Trista Barstow told FOX 9 the home accepts residents with severe alcohol problems and that staff try to "monitor them and help space these things out." She said the facility plans to appeal the cited deficiency and argued their policies and individualized care plans respect resident rights under Minnesota law.
Fox News Digital contacted Covered Bridge and the Minnesota Department of Health for additional comment.
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