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Marjorie Tingley’s sons disputed a Michigan memory care facility’s request to use antipsychotic medication after staff reported repeated incidents of aggression. The family alleges the facility retaliated by sending her to the emergency room and issuing an eviction notice; the facility denies wrongdoing. Tingley died in January 2025, and a trial on remaining claims is scheduled for early next year if mediation fails.
The sons of Marjorie Tingley, a woman with dementia who died in January 2025, are suing a Michigan memory care facility over its response to their disagreement about antipsychotic medication. The family alleges Vista Grande Villa sent Tingley to the emergency room repeatedly in retaliation and issued her an eviction notice; the facility and its former director deny the allegations.
The dispute began in December 2024, when Vista Grande told Tingley’s adult sons that their 85-year-old mother posed a serious safety risk. Facility behavior logs cited in the reporting recorded at least 10 days in the preceding month when Tingley hit, kicked or elbowed aides assisting her with personal care, including dressing, bathing and using the bathroom. The facility sought the family’s permission to give her medication to reduce agitation.
Her sons alternately agreed to and resisted the facility’s requests. According to ambulance and police dispatch records, Vista Grande called 911 after altercations; medical and facility records show Tingley was taken to an emergency department eight times. After four visits, the facility issued a 30-day eviction notice. She was sent to the hospital four more times while her family arranged another placement, the records show. Tingley later died at a different facility. Medical records cited by KFF Health News attributed her death to plaque buildup in the brain, associated with 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 that some hospital transfers were retaliatory. A Michigan Circuit Court judge dismissed the negligence claim on legal grounds; the other claims remain. In a court filing, Vista Grande described the proposed drugs as “routine medication” and said it sent Tingley to the hospital because her family would not allow treatment at the facility. The facility and director deny the allegations.
Medication Disputes Can Threaten Placement
The case illustrates the difficult choices families can face when a person with dementia becomes distressed or physically aggressive in a care setting. A facility may argue that medication is needed to protect residents and staff, while relatives may fear side effects or question whether other approaches have been tried. For families, refusal can carry practical consequences: this case involved repeated hospital transfers and an eviction notice, although the alleged motive is disputed.
Antipsychotic medicines carry serious warnings. The Food and Drug Administration requires manufacturers to warn that these drugs increase the risk of death in older people with Alzheimer’s disease and similar conditions. The source report also cites concerns including delirium, falls and hospitalization. Those risks do not establish that the medication proposed for Tingley would have caused harm, or that medication was unnecessary in her case; the lawsuit concerns contested decisions and conduct, not a settled finding on those questions.
The broader issue affects a large population. More than 5 million Medicare beneficiaries have a dementia diagnosis, and a JAMA study estimated that one in four Medicare beneficiaries with dementia may be inappropriately prescribed antipsychotics or other brain-altering medications. That estimate is not a finding about Tingley or Vista Grande. It helps explain why prescribing oversight and family consent remain prominent concerns in long-term care.
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A Long Campaign to Reduce Overuse
Diseases that cause dementia can affect perception and impulse control. A person may lash out from fear, especially if they do not recognize a caregiver, or may be trying to communicate pain, hunger or another unmet need. These behaviors can create safety concerns for residents and care workers, while facilities specializing in dementia care must manage them in settings designed for people with cognitive impairment.
Concerns about the use of tranquilizing medication in long-term care are longstanding. A 1975 Senate report described prescription drug misuse in nursing homes as a serious problem. In 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched its Partnership to Improve Dementia Care to reduce overprescribing. The campaign has helped lower antipsychotic use, but the report says that, excluding people with schizophrenia, antipsychotics were still given to one in seven nursing home residents in 2025. That figure describes nursing home residents, not all people with dementia or residents of assisted living facilities.
Vista Grande was a nonprofit when the events occurred, according to the report. Earlier this year, it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Otterbein SeniorLife and was renamed Otterbein Jackson SeniorLife Community. Otterbein is not named in the lawsuit. The report said representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
““They just wanted to have her drugged up.””
— David Tingley, one of Marjorie Tingley’s sons
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The Court Has Not Resolved the Allegations
The lawsuit’s remaining claims have not been decided. Vista Grande and its former director deny the family’s allegations, and the facility has offered a different explanation for the hospital transfers. The judge’s dismissal of the negligence claim was on legal grounds; it does not resolve the remaining dispute over the alleged retaliation, emotional distress or wrongful eviction.
It is also unclear from the available reporting what specific medication, dose or treatment plan the facility proposed, how the family’s consent changed over time, or what alternatives were considered. The records described in the report document incidents and hospital visits, but they do not by themselves determine the reasons for each transfer or establish that a particular course of care was medically appropriate.
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Mediation Could Precede a Trial
The remaining claims are scheduled for trial early next year if mediation does not resolve the dispute. The available report does not provide a specific trial date or say whether mediation has been scheduled. A trial or settlement could address the family’s claims, but no outcome has been reported.
Meanwhile, the case may remain relevant to families weighing medication recommendations against safety concerns and the possibility of losing a placement. The lawsuit does not establish a general rule for when antipsychotics should be used; decisions about an individual resident’s care depend on clinical circumstances, consent and applicable requirements.
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Key Questions
What does Marjorie Tingley’s family allege?
The family alleges Vista Grande Villa responded to their disagreement over medication by sending Tingley to the emergency room repeatedly and issuing a 30-day eviction notice. The facility and its former director deny the allegations.
How many times was Tingley taken to an emergency room?
Medical and facility records cited by KFF Health News show eight emergency room visits after incidents involving aggressive behavior at the memory care facility.
Did the court decide whether the facility retaliated?
No. A judge dismissed the negligence claim on legal grounds, but the other claims remain unresolved. Vista Grande disputes the family’s account of why it sent Tingley to the hospital.
Why are antipsychotic drugs a concern for older people with dementia?
The FDA requires manufacturers to warn that antipsychotic drugs increase the risk of death in older people with Alzheimer’s disease and similar conditions. The source report also describes concerns about delirium, falls and hospitalization. The risks and benefits in a particular case depend on the individual circumstances.
When could the lawsuit go to trial?
A trial on the remaining claims is scheduled for early next year if mediation fails. The available reporting does not give a specific date or confirm the status of mediation.
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