Lexington hospice patient dies a day after nurse accused of stealing medication from her

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - A Lexington nurse is facing charges after police say she stole medication from a hospice patient.

Family members tell me 66-year-old Doris Grant, who was under hospice care, passed away Monday morning. Her daughter, Theresa Oiler, is overwhelmed with emotion as she thinks back to what happened on Sunday.

“This particular nurse, Cathy Young, was called out here yesterday. When she arrived she noticed my mom’s breathing and made the call to the doctor to get the medications transferred from pill form to liquid form,” Oiler said.

Oiler says Young took pills into the bathroom and shut the door. She then heard Young pouring the pills out.

“When she came out, I said ‘what did you do with those pills?’ She said ‘I had to discard them,”' said Oiler. I said ‘you know, as a nurse, that was against protocol.‘”

Oiler says Young then went out to her car. That’s when Oiler called the police.

Young was later arrested.

Oiler streaming the incident on Facebook Live.

Police say Young had 77 acetaminophen and oxycodone hydrochloride pills inside her vehicle. She’s now facing drug charges.

Her employer, Bluegrass Care Navigators, released a statement saying the company has a zero-tolerance policy for substance abuse or theft. The statement also said the company could not comment on personal information regarding patients their families or employees:

Bluegrass Care Navigators has an obligation to its employees, patients and the public at large to reasonably ensure safety in our workplace, as well as safety and quality in our services. Therefore, Bluegrass Care Navigators has a zero-tolerance policy for issues such as substance abuse or theft. We cannot comment on personal information regarding our patients, their families, or our employees. We can share with you that with any situation involving a police investigation, our organization fully cooperates and supports local agencies involved. Additionally, we can share that we have strict protocols and training in place regarding medication management, medication waste and medication diversion, and take these issues with the upmost seriousness. Our uncompromising priority remains providing safe, expert and compassionate care to patients and families who need our services.

Family members tell us Doris Grant passed away less than an hour before our crew arrived to cover the story. They’re now in the process of arranging a funeral.

The family is asking for donations and has set up a GoFundMe page.

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