Wheelchair-Bound Woman Dies After Being Found on Nursing Home Patio After 8 Hours Missing

An 84-year-old woman was found unresponsive outside the Avenue Warrensville Care and Rehabilitation Center in Warrensville Heights, Ohio, on Christmas Eve 2024. The elderly resident, who was wheelchair-bound and admitted for physical rehabilitation on December 18, was last seen by a nurse at 8:40 p.m. on December 23.

Last Seen by Staff: The Critical Timeline

According to reports, the elderly resident was last seen by a nurse at 8:40 p.m. on December 23, 2024. 

• 8:40 p.m., Dec. 23: Last seen by a nurse
• 9:30 p.m., Dec. 23: Another nurse found the woman missing from her room. She later told officers she assumed the woman left with her brother, but upon checking the logs, she found no visitors were at the hospital that day. She tried calling the woman’s brother but received no answer. The nurse repeatedly told police that she was new and unsure of what to do next.
• ~6:30 a.m., Dec. 24: The nurse told a coworker about the woman’s disappearance and a 'Code Purple' was activated and a search initiated within minutes.
• 7:30 a.m., Dec. 24: Police arrived at the facility
• Shortly after: Woman found unresponsive in a secluded area of the patio. She was transported to the hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. 

Police asked for security footage but were told cameras were only in common areas and do not show the woman’s disappearance.

Local affiliate Fox8 received a statement from an official at the Avenue Warrensville Care and Rehabilitation Center:

The gap between when the woman was last seen and when she was found unresponsive outside the facility is a matter of significant concern. Nursing homes typically have protocols in place for regular resident checks, particularly for those with cognitive impairments or mobility issues. In addition, the time gap between a nurse finding the woman missing and initiating a ‘Code Purple’ is also potentially troublesome.

While the incident has been reported, the specific identity of the 84-year-old woman has not been disclosed to respect the privacy of the deceased and her family, despite some reports identifying the woman as Luvenia Gill, who passed away on January 3, 2025.

In the wake of this incident, local authorities and nursing home administrators will conduct thorough investigations to identify any lapses in protocol or areas where improvements can be made to prevent similar incidents in the future at this nursing home and others.

We will continue to update this article as more information becomes available.