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When the Watchdog Joins the Pack: How the Union County Nexus Made One Foster Home Untouchable

In the story that follows, you'll read how Russell Bingaman—a 76-year-old veteran with Alzheimer's—was systematically isolated from his wife of 58 years through falsified documents, illegal medications, and a locked door. You'll see guardian logs that inadvertently prove the deception. You'll hear from whistleblowers who describe being ordered to fabricate negative reports. You'll learn how a phone call between attorneys and DHS officials resulted in advice to "lock door to keep Patty out"—without any legal authority.

But to understand why this could happen, you need to know one critical fact our FOIA investigation revealed: Despite years of documented violations, Nadine's Nest Adult Foster Home has never received a substantive citation from DHS.

A System Designed to Protect Its Own

The Untouchable Status

Our review of DHS records uncovered a pattern that explains everything:

  • Multiple abuse reports filed: Involuntary seclusion, chemical restraints, falsified records
  • Whistleblower declarations: Staff describing pressure to fabricate documentation
  • Missing medication logs: Pages removed before court submission
  • Dangerous understaffing: Single caregivers working 60-hour shifts
  • Illegal prescribing: Owner prescribing controlled substances without authority
  • Invalid restrictions: DHS's own investigation found the isolation order "not valid"

Result: Zero violations. Zero sanctions. Zero enforcement actions.

The Nexus Protection

Why? Because Nadine's Nest isn't just any adult foster home. Its owner, Tempie Bartell, sits at a critical intersection of the Union County Nexus:

  • Medical Director, Mount Emily Safe Center: For 20+ years, the trusted expert DHS calls for child abuse examinations
  • Pediatric Nurse Practitioner: The professional who testifies in court about protecting vulnerable children
  • DHS Partner: Someone who has worked hand-in-hand with the very investigators supposed to regulate her facility

When DHS investigators arrive at Nadine's Nest, they're not investigating a stranger—they're investigating their longtime colleague, their expert witness, their partner in child protection.

A System Without Exits

This is why Patricia Bingaman's desperate fight to see her husband met dead ends at every turn:

  • File a complaint with DHS? They're protecting Bartell's facility
  • Appeal to the guardians? They're represented by Wyatt Baum, grandson of the hospital's founder
  • Seek legal help? The attorneys all know each other, serve on the same boards
  • Go to court? The judge accepts testimony from the nexus members
  • Contact adult protective services? They defer to DHS, who protects Bartell

In the Union County Nexus, every door that should lead to help instead leads back to the same network.

The Evidence That Follows

What you're about to read isn't just one family's tragedy—it's the documented proof of how a sophisticated rural power structure neutralizes every protection supposedly in place for vulnerable citizens. Theguardian logs, maintained by Russell's own children, inadvertently provide evidence of the coordination. The whistleblower testimony reveals the deliberate nature of the deception. The medication records show the chemical restraints. The billing records expose the financial motivations.

But most damning of all is what our FOIA requests revealed: Everyone knew. DHS knew the isolation was illegal. They knew the records were falsified. They knew the facility was dangerously understaffed. They knew medications were being illegally prescribed.

They just chose to protect the nexus instead of Russell Bingaman.

The Human Cost

For 46 days, Patricia Bingaman stood outside a locked door, unable to see her husband of 58 years. Not because of a court order—none existed. Not because of a valid restriction—DHS had ruled it invalid. But because Tempie Bartell's facility operated under different rules than any other foster home in Eastern Oregon. Because when you're part of the nexus, accountability is something that happens to other people.

Russell Bingaman died on January 29, 2025. His death certificate lists "Complications of Alzheimer Dementia" as the cause. The records tell a different story—one of systematic isolation, chemical restraint, and a protection network that chose to shield itself rather than save him.

The following investigation, "Anatomy of Isolation," draws from thousands of pages of records, including DHS investigations, Medicare billing data, sworn testimony, and guardian logs that were never meant to reveal what they ultimately proved: In Union County, the system designed to protect the vulnerable instead protects itself.

Part 2A: Anatomy of Isolation

How a Promise Became a Locked Door

In Union County, two clocks were running. In twenty-three days (June 17 → July 10, 2024), a routine "issue with IBL" entry, a drafted motion, and a video-only prognosis culminated in a call where DHS/APD licensing was cited to "lock door to keep Patty out." Separately, the lockout itself lasted forty-six days of no visits after July 3, with physical turn-away documented July 12. The same day as the call, a hospice note recorded: "Patty is not aware Russell is on hospice again." This chapter documents the sequence of events that led to that lockout.

The promise had been clear. On April 3, 2024, a court-approved family agreement guaranteed Patricia Bingaman would "continue to visit Protected Person in the same manner that she has historically visited him." Russell Bingaman, 76, suffering from Alzheimer's disease, had been in Nadine's Nest adult foster home since February 2022. His wife of 58 years had visited him nearly daily.

Records show what followed that April promise: a series of actions resulting in Patricia's exclusion through documentation, medical decisions, and ultimately, physical lockout.

Editor's note: We distinguish between the 23-day run-up (June 17 → July 10) and the forty-six-day lockout of actual no-visit access following July 3.

Part One: The Foundation (February 2022 - December 2023)

The Admission

Russell Bingaman entered Nadine's Nest on February 21, 2022, and was enrolled in hospice by February 16, 2022 (before his admission to the facility).

Medicare hospice eligibility for dementia requires specific criteria: a FAST score of 7a or higher (speech limited to five words or less), dependence for 5/6 or 6/6 Activities of Daily Living, and a physician's certification of six months or less to live. The certification triggered enhanced Medicare payments and permitted aggressive pharmaceutical interventions typically reserved for end-of-life care.

Yet Russell's actual condition contradicted this terminal diagnosis. On February 21, 2022, his first day at Nadine's Nest, facility records note: "MR B WAS TRYING TO ESCAPE." Staff quickly walked outside with him; he returned angry. The discussion turned immediately to Haloperidol "if needed to help patient with agitation for the night."

A week later, on February 28, Russell told staff: "GET ME OUT OF HERE."

By March 7, 2022, RN Alice Shaw documented, based on caregiver Alicia's report: "HE HAS DAYS THAT HE STILL TRIES TO 'GO HOME.' HE CAN BE RE-DIRECTED MOST DAYS."

Early Isolation Tactics

In March 2022, facility owner Tempie Bartell instructed staff not to allow family visits yet because Russell was "still adjusting" and they were "unsure how he would deal with seeing family." This despite Russell repeatedly asking to go home and attempting to leave.

By April 2022, a Heart and Home hospice counselor documented that facility staff were "open to a plan allowing Patty to visit 'as often as she wants'" on days with two staff working. Yet by December 2022, during a mediated meeting, Tempie Bartell expressed concern that Russell had been "more agitated and restless in the last few weeks since Patty has been able to visit freely."

When Patricia's visits finally resumed, the documentation began. But not accurately.

A comprehensive forensic review of facility logs from March through July 2024 examined 36 documented spouse visits. The finding: 94.4% recorded no issues. Typical entries read:

  • "Great mood after wife's visit"
  • "Enjoyed time with spouse"
  • "Calm and content following Patricia's visit"

The Invalid IBL

By August 14, 2023, Bartell drafted and formalized her restrictions request. The Individually-Based Limitation (IBL) document claimed:

  • Patricia's visits should be restricted to twice weekly, 30 minutes or less
  • She must be accompanied by one of her children or chosen representative
  • Her visits caused Russell to be "disturbed, exhibit negative behaviors, become reclusive, confused, angry"
  • She required "increased sedative medication" after visits
  • Patricia posed "a health and safety risk to other residents" by touching and feeding them

The children signed the document. Patricia was not consulted.

Notably, this IBL was created just months after Russell had been discharged from hospice in March 2023 for "STAGNATION OF DECLINES, PATIENT NO LONGER MEETS CRITERIA FOR HOSPICE." He was too healthy for hospice but supposedly too fragile for his wife's visits.

Patricia initially complied with the restriction for nearly two weeks. Then someone at DHS told her the truth—the IBL was not valid. When Patricia went to visit Russell after learning this, on October 31, 2023 (Halloween), the police were called to escort her from the property at Tempie Bartell's request.

The La Grande Police officer told Patricia: "...but at the time the owner Tempie doesn't want you here..."

Russell was acutely aware of the situation. When Patricia explained the police were there to escort her out, Russell responded:

  • "Just stay here for a minute" - pleading with her not to leave
  • "I don't think these cops would do that" - expressing disbelief at the situation
  • "He's got La Grande on his" - noting it was La Grande police

Earlier, when Patricia arrived after two weeks of being banned, Russell had said: "I said I should have walked out of the son of a bitch..."

Patricia told the officers she'd been married to Russell for 57 years, together since she was 14 and he was 15. The officer responded: "Well, you did it anyway. That's bravery. Takes an old farm woman to be brave."

DHS investigated. Investigation ID 00294325 reached a definitive conclusion: the IBL was "not valid and had to be removed." The investigation determined "no restrictions on visitation will be initiated." The allegation of involuntary seclusion was marked "Not Substantiated."

The Guardianship Maneuver

In December 2023, while the invalid IBL issue remained unresolved, Russell's two sons—Shawn and Austin Bingaman—were appointed as co-guardians. Patricia initially objected but withdrew her challenge after negotiating protections.

The resulting March 15, 2024, family agreement seemed to resolve the conflict. Paragraph 2.1(b) explicitly guaranteed: "Patricia will continue to visit Protected Person in the same manner that she has historically visited him."

That agreement would last 94 days.

Part Two: Building the Record (January - June 2024)

The Behavioral Documentation

Former facility manager Elisha Callahand, employed from October 6, 2023, to November 12, 2024, provided statements about what she witnessed in early 2024:

In an interview, she stated that "Staff were instructed to document negative behaviors after Patty's visits, regardless of whether such behaviors were related to the visit."

She elaborated that facility records contained "pages missing," which she stated were altered to create a negative impression of Patricia's visits. When she challenged this practice, she was told it was necessary to "justify visitation restrictions."

Caregiver Lisa Nice corroborated this in an interview: "Management instructed staff to 'chart behaviors as if Patty caused them.'" She even testified in court: "I never observed any increased agitation following Patricia's visits. Russell was always delighted to see her."

Elisha Callahand and Lisa Nice didn't work together or know each other, yet both independently described the same documentation manipulation.

The Guardian Logs as Evidence

The guardians maintained their own contemporaneous logs through Cheryl Murchison. These logs provide crucial evidence of manipulation—Cheryl documented what facility staff told her in real-time, creating an independent record of what the facility was reporting to the guardians versus what appeared in their official logs.

The comparison reveals significant discrepancies:

Visits Documented in Guardian Logs but Missing from Facility Records:

  • March 28, 2024: Cheryl logs "Patty returned @ 1:20 PM - Text from Ray and video"
  • April 1, 2024: "Patty visited 2 days in a row"
  • April 3, 2024: "Patty showed up @ N/N"
  • April 5, 2024: "Call w/ Alicia @ N/N - Dad doing okay - Patty short visit"
  • April 10, 2024: "Susan social worker w/ Hospice visited Dad - Patty was there also"
  • April 11, 2024: "Text from Elisha@N/N...Patty visited"

Why would the facility tell Cheryl about these visits but not record them in their official logs? The pattern suggests selective documentation—reporting certain incidents to the guardians while omitting others from the official record.

The guardian logs also reveal the facility's real-time reporting patterns. On April 11, Cheryl documented: "Ray recorded - Patty telling Russell Kids took her to court and his girlfriend. She lost. *then Dad refused care"

The note about recording raises a question: was recording Patricia and Russell without their knowledge legal? Regardless, the facility's official logs for this period show no such incident.

The Pattern of Selective Reporting

A comprehensive review of facility logs from March through July 2024 reveals 36 documented visits by Patricia. Out of these 36 visits, only 2 (5.6%) had direct issues documented. The remaining 94.4% showed no issues.

Critically, not a single instance shows Russell's problematic behaviors were caused solely by Patricia's presence. When behavioral issues occurred around her visits, there were always other documented factors:

  • He was already sick or vomiting before she arrived
  • He was agitated prior to her visit
  • He had other visitors the same day
  • He was refusing medications before she came

The nurses' own documentation contradicts the isolation narrative. In September 2024, RN Cristie Campbell wrote that caregivers reported Russell became "HOSTILE AND PHYSICALLY AGGRESSIVE" following Patricia's visits. Yet the actual facility logs from the preceding months showed 94.4% of visits had no issues—a fact the nurses either didn't know or chose to ignore.

The Reality on the Ground

Audio recordings from Patricia's visits in spring 2024 capture Russell's actual state:

April 22, 2024:

  • Russell: "I am glad man to see you."
  • Russell: "Glad man. Glad man to see you."
  • Russell: "You gonna take me home?"
  • Patricia: "I can't."
  • Russell: "I said are you going to take me home?"

April 23, 2024:

  • Russell: "Well, you're gonna take me home."
  • Russell: "Why don't you just live down here?"
  • Russell: "Stay a while."
  • Russell: "Do you miss me?"

May 24, 2024:

  • Russell: "You gotta stay here."

June 19, 2024:

  • Russell: "I don't want to come here again."
  • Russell: "Not, ain't nothing that makes me feel good in this son of a bitch."
  • Russell: "Why can't I leave?"

These weren't the words of a man limited to five-word sentences, as his hospice diagnosis required. These were the words of a man who knew exactly where he was and wanted to leave.

The Staffing Reality

While Bartell claimed Patricia's visits required "additional staffing," statements from staff revealed a different truth.

Elisha Callahand described the actual staffing situation from May 2024 onward:

  • Staff required to work 24-hour shifts, sleeping at the facility 6-7 days per week
  • Only three total employees during summer 2024
  • Callahand personally worked a documented 60-hour consecutive shift alone
  • No proper breaks, no relief staff
  • Multiple residents under the care of single staff members

Callahand noted that she and likely other employees were hired as "contractors" despite having set schedules and all the requirements of employees. This arrangement stuck the employees with all the taxes while Tempie Bartell avoided paying employment taxes.

The staffing situation was so dire that when caregiver Ray needed time off, Tempie Bartell prescribed her anti-depressants instead of addressing the staffing crisis.

In an interview, Callahand described her frustration with Bartell's indifference: "We have staffing issues and you don't give a shit." When Callahand had asked for help, Bartell's response was to say she would cancel her appointments at her clinic and come in herself—if that's what Elisha wanted—making Elisha feel guilty for even asking.

The facility would later bill for "additional staffing/visitation non-compliance" at $1,000 per month.. But there was no additional staff. There was barely adequate staff for basic operations.

The Exit-Seeking Pattern

Between February 2022 and July 2024, facility records document Russell's repeated attempts to leave:

  • February 21, 2022: "MR B WAS TRYING TO ESCAPE"
  • February 28, 2022: "GET ME OUT OF HERE"
  • March 7, 2022: "HE HAS DAYS THAT HE STILL TRIES TO 'GO HOME'"
  • December 5, 2022: "RUSSELL ASKS 'WHY AM I HERE'"
  • January 18, 2023: "ALL DAY TUESDAY HE WAS TRYING TO LEAVE, HE WENT OUT THE FRONT DOOR SEVERAL TIMES AND OUT THE BACK DOOR ONCE"
  • February 15, 2023: "SUNDAY WAS A BAD DAY HE WANDERED, OPENING ALL THE DOORS TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO GO OUT"
  • March 3, 2024: "Resident wanted a ride to chuber after buch, kept asking for several hours while pacing around the house"
  • April 18, 2024: "started roaming the house yelling and walked outside several times. Yeah at one point open the gate and broke it off its latch"
  • June 11, 2024: "resident vomited in bedroom after refusing dinner and walking two houses over trying to find a car to get back to town"
  • June 25, 2024: "he kept walking outside and talking about calling the school. He refused dinner and kept walking outside at 5:30 PM I called for another shift worker to come in and help as he had me walking along the street trying to cross for over 30 minutes"

A caregiver confirmed in June 2024: "yes, he made many attempts to leave the premises."

Elisha Callahand observed that Russell's "agitation" wasn't specific to Patricia's visits: "It's not like he only did it when she came. It depended on who visited that day and how many visitors he had."

Part Three: The Legal Process (June 17 - July 10, 2024)

June 17: The Issue

Attorney billing records from Baum Smith show that on June 17, 2024, Wyatt Baum, representing the two co-guardians, reviewed an "issue with IBL" during a telephone call with Shawn. The IBL had been ruled invalid by DHS eight months earlier. Yet Baum would bill the estate for this IBL-related work, even though the July lockout would ultimately proceed without invoking any IBL.

June 19: The Motion

Two days later, Baum drafted a "motion to limit association." Attorney staff conferred with Baum, reviewed the motion, and began drafting supporting declarations and orders.

Cheryl's guardian log for this date notes: "Ray called Shawn @11:03AM Patty there @NN cutting Dads hair." The facility was reporting Patricia's presence to the guardians while legal documents were being prepared to exclude her.

June 20: The Prescription

The day after the motion was drafted, Tempie Bartell prescribed Chlorpromazine 50mg for Russell from Red Cross Institutional Pharmacy, with her name listed as the prescriber.

This act directly contradicted her sworn testimony on September 10, 2024, when she stated: "I don't provide direct patient care. I don't... I'm not like the medical provider for any of the residents."

June 25: The Ultimatum

Tempie Bartell sent an email to Shawn Bingaman and Wyatt Baum declaring that Russell "has to be moved out of Nadine's Nest ASAP." Her stated reasons:

  • Patty's non-compliance with visitor restrictions (visiting more than twice a week, staying over 30 minutes)
  • Russell's "resulting behaviors that have escalated to elopement and severe anxiety and distress after each of her visits"
  • "The loss of my primary care giver due to the anxiety Patty causes her"
  • A second care provider "nearly quit"

Attorney staff finalized and filed the Motion to Limit Association documents the same day.

The guardian logs for this date reveal what the facility was actually reporting: "he kept walking outside and talking about calling the school. He refused dinner and kept walking outside at 5:30 PM I called for another shift worker to come in and help as he had me walking along the street trying to cross for over 30 minutes." No mention of Patricia causing this behavior—Russell was exit-seeking on his own.

June 27: The Prognosis

Russell had a telehealth consultation with Cami A. Bean, FNP-C, from La Grande Family Medicine/Praxis Health. Crucially:

  • Russell was not physically examined
  • Shawn (power of attorney) and a Nadine's Nest caregiver were present
  • Patricia was not informed
  • The assessment was based on information provided by Tempie Bartell and the caregiver

Bean's determination: "Given chronic conditions, history, and current status I suspect he has 6 months or less left in his life."

The guardian logs note: "Dad's Heart + Oxy low after Patty's visit?? Anxiety??" with question marks—even the guardians weren't certain of causation.

The facility was instructed to monitor Russell's vital signs daily while waiting for hospice admission.

What Bean didn't document: Russell's actual weight, his ability to walk and communicate, or any direct observation of his condition.

Months later, in a December 20, 2024 settlement proposal, Attorney Wyatt Baum would write: "As to the notation in the medical records of Mr. Bingaman having six months to live, I understand health care providers did that to enable Mr. Bingman to have access to hospice care. My clients are unaware of any diagnosis or concern regarding Mr. Bingaman's health that puts his life expectancy to six months."

Former facility manager Elisha Callahand understood this prognosis was "not an actual (real prognosis)" because she understood it to be normal to do that just to give patients access to hospice care. Even the guardians viewed hospice as beneficial "advanced care" and were stressed when Russell "didn't qualify" anymore in March 2023. This reveals a backwards understanding—coming off hospice meant Russell was improving, but they were told otherwise.

July 2: The Enrollment

Russell was admitted to hospice. His primary terminal diagnosis: "Alzheimer's Disease with Late Onset."

The same day, Attorney Wyatt Baum reviewed an "email on IBL issues."

July 3: The First Lock

Patricia arrived for her regular visit. The door was locked.

Austin Bingaman later stated that he and his brother "decided to cut off visits starting that day until the court made a decision" because previous attempts to limit visits had failed and Patricia was "unreasoning."

Their attorney had abused ORS 125.323, a law put in place in 2019 specifically to prevent guardians from isolating protected persons. Nancy Nathanson, who championed the law, has been informed about how it was abused in this case.

No court order existed prohibiting Patricia's visits. The March family agreement guaranteeing her access remained in effect.

The guardian logs document: "S-A met w/ Aaron @DHS on IBL" and "Shawn checked on Dad -Dad restless but finally sat down."

July 4: The Medication Acknowledgment

Russell's chart noted medication interactions for Donepezil with Haloperidol Lactate and Ondansetron. The physician notation: "MD AWARE, BENEFITS OUTWEIGH RISKS."

July 5: The Continued Lockout

The guardian logs show: "Patty showed up @ NN w/Jody Bullock"—Patricia attempted to visit but was denied entry while the guardians' friend Jody Bullock was apparently allowed access.

July 9: The Concealment

A hospice pre-death bereavement risk assessment phone visit note explicitly stated: "PATTY IS UNAWARE RUSSELL IS ON HOSPICE AGAIN."

The note continued: "Shawn (Russell's son and power of attorney) wanted support provided to his mom."

Patricia was deliberately kept uninformed about her husband's hospice enrollment. She would only learn of it through court discovery.

The guardian logs confirm: "Cheri from Hospice called for permission to work w/ Patty -S-A said Yes"—but without telling Patricia that Russell was on hospice.

Whistleblowers later indicated that staff were instructed to conceal hospice enrollment from Patricia.

July 10: The Call

The guardian logs memorialize the pivotal phone call. Participants:

  • Wyatt Baum (guardians' attorney)
  • Shawn and Austin (the two co-guardians)
  • Cheryl (their sister, not a guardian but maintaining the logs)
  • Aaron Lenox (DHS supervisor)
  • Erin Smith (APD Licensing agent)

The log entry: "Aaron – Nadines Nest can lock door to keep Patty out Erin Smith talked w/ Aaron + Tempie"

That same day, a hospice bereavement note recorded: "Patty is not aware Russell is on hospice again."

July 12: The Physical Lockout

Selina Shaffer, a nurse with over three decades of experience who would later testify as an expert witness at the guardianship case, accompanied Patricia to visit Russell. They were physically blocked from entering Nadine's Nest.

Elisha Callahand met them at the door. She did not let them inside, though they took clothes for Russell.

The guardian logs document this: "Patty went to NN w/ Selina Elisha met them @door and did not let them inside - took clothes for Dad -Shawn talked to Elisha - Dad doing great."

Shaffer found the incident so alarming she filed an abuse report with DHS, noting "there was no court order explicitly forbidding visits at that time."

July 17: The Medical Note

An RN note in Russell's chart stated: "agitation well controlled with lorazepam, wife not allowed in facility, pt less agitated since not dealing with wife."

The guardian logs for this day note: "Elisha said Dad is much better overall - not anxious and agitated -grumpiness normal for dementia"—attributing his improved state to Patricia's absence while acknowledging his baseline grumpiness was just "normal for dementia."

Part Four: The Documentation Review

The Documentation Discrepancies

As legal proceedings approached, the documentary record itself became contested.

Elisha Callahand stated "there are definitely pages missing" from the logs. She confirmed that Bartell came in and took the logs home one night. Additionally, there was one entry with handwriting noticeably different from all the rest, which Elisha immediately questioned: "Who wrote this?!"

The guardian logs maintained by Cheryl Murchison provide proof of manipulation. When the guardians' own records show visits that don't appear in facility logs, it reveals discrepancies in documentation. When Cheryl documents what staff told her about Russell's behaviors but those behaviors are later attributed to Patricia in official records, it shows how narratives evolved.

For example, on May 17, Cheryl's log notes: "Call w/ staff @ NN Dad threw up after Patty's visit Thursday." But examination of the facility logs shows Russell had been vomiting for days before Patricia's visit—information not included in the report to the guardians.

The Chemical Regimen

Russell's medication regimen tells its own story of escalating chemical control.

February 2022 (Admission):

  • Amlodipine 2.5 mg (blood pressure)
  • Donepezil 10 mg (Alzheimer's)
  • Lamotrigine 25 mg (mood stabilizer)
  • Quetiapine 50 mg (antipsychotic)
  • Acetaminophen 650 mg (pain)

By July 2024 (Post-Hospice Enrollment): The Comprehensive Medication Analysis Report dated July 3, 2024, detailed Russell's regimen:

Primary Sedatives and Antipsychotics:

  • Morphine Sulfate: 0.5 mL (10mg) every hour as needed. Pharmacy records showed "Amount 30, 3 a day" but the potential for 240mg/24hrs was noted as "extraordinarily high" for an elderly patient
  • Lorazepam (Ativan): Despite a May 2020 hospital warning to avoid it "due to increased agitation" and Patricia's consistent warnings it caused hallucinations, dosage was increased July 10 with 90 tablets dispensed. Hospice advised giving it "every two hours if he needs it"
  • Haloperidol (Haldol): Dispensed July 5, 2024, for agitation though caregivers noted it was ineffective
  • Chlorpromazine: 50mg prescribed July 3 for hiccups, a strong CNS depressant causing QT prolongation
  • Quetiapine (Seroquel): 100mg twice daily
  • ABHR Cream (Ativan, Benadryl, Haldol, Reglan): Ordered July 3, initially twice daily as needed. Tempie Bartell directed use up to four times daily despite staff protests

Contraindicated Medications:

  • Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) in ABHR: A January 6, 2019 hospital record explicitly warned against use, noting it made Russell "more confused/forgetful"
  • Lamotrigine: Later identified by Wildflower Lodge as causing severe sedation and frequent falls. They "narrowed it down to the Lamotrigine" and held it October 22, 2024

Additional Medications:

  • Scopolamine patch (causes delirium/confusion)
  • Baclofen (muscle relaxant increasing fall risk)
  • Sertraline, Ondansetron, Sucralfate, Senna, Bisacodyl, Tamsulosin, Omeprazole, Acetaminophen, Nitroglycerin

The ABHR cream alone combined four sedatives. Tempie Bartell directed use up to four times daily despite staff protests. Elisha Callahand called these applications "chemical restraints."

Critical context: Patricia had consistently warned since 2020 that Ativan caused Russell hallucinations and anxiety. A hospital record from January 6, 2019, explicitly recommended against Benadryl, noting it made Russell "more confused/forgetful."

Both medications were central components of the ABHR cream.

The Money Trail

Nadine's Nest billed the guardians for:

  • "Visitation restriction non-compliance and additional staffing required"
  • $1,000 per diem
  • October 1-21, 2024: $4,741.94

Tempie Bartell testified that Russell's behaviors "become very difficult" every time Patricia visited, necessitating additional staff.

Yet Elisha Callahand described the actual staffing situation:

  • No additional staff were hired
  • Existing staff worked 24-hour shifts without relief
  • The facility operated with three total employees during summer 2024
  • Callahand personally worked 60 consecutive hours alone

The Authority Question

Throughout July 2024, multiple parties claimed authority to lock Patricia out, though none invoked the invalidated IBL:

July 3: Austin Bingaman stated he and his brother "decided to cut off visits" without citing legal authority. Their attorney had abused ORS 125.323, a law specifically designed to prevent guardians from isolating protected persons.

July 9: Tempie Bartell testified she was "allowed to lock the door" by "licensing adult foster home licensing" who told her to "follow the guardians' requests."

July 10: DHS officials on the phone call advised the facility "could lock door to keep Patty out."

The Reality: The October 2023 DHS investigation had already determined the IBL was "not valid and had to be removed." DHS official Cody Yeates clarified in writing that the IBL document was "a support document for your husband, not meant to restrict your access."

The Human Cost

Behind the legal maneuvering and documentation battles was a man trying to get home, and a wife fighting to care for him.

Patricia's Enduring Fight

After the IBL was imposed, Patricia initially complied for nearly two weeks. When someone at DHS finally told her the truth—that the IBL was not valid—she went to visit Russell on Halloween, October 31, 2023. She brought him bread pudding from a Mexican bakery, a gift from "not blood kids" as she called them.

Caregiver Ray admitted to Patricia that since she'd been away, Russell had been different—refusing care, staying in his room, locking his door, not smiling or joking. When Patricia suggested maybe he was sad because she wasn't there, Ray claimed "He never mentions you."

When the police arrived to escort Patricia out, she made sure Russell could see what was happening. She told him clearly: "The people that own this home and the people that work here do not want me here to see you."

As she was forced to leave, Patricia asked Russell if she could give him a kiss goodbye. She told him "I love you. I always have and I always will." Russell responded: "I love. I love that. I realized that."

Patricia told the officers: "Russell and I've been married for 57 years... we've been together when I was 14 and him 15." The officer acknowledged her bravery: "Well, you did it anyway. That's bravery. Takes an old farm woman to be brave."

After being escorted out, Patricia went directly to APS to report what happened. She declared: "I will not give up. I will not give in. Russell is my husband. We've toughed it out and I'm not going to quit now."

Throughout the ordeal that followed, she persisted. She drove through ice and snow to reach Russell. She took the stand multiple times in court. She brought him comforts from home, ironed his favorite shirts, and constantly advocated for better care, even providing care herself when Russell proved difficult with staff.

Russell's own attorney would confirm: "...he loves his wife and wants to see her."

Her attorney Glenn Null captured her priorities at the guardianship hearing: "We would consider a win in this matter if...it's a chance to move Mr. Bingaman into a different facility where Ms. Bingaman is more comfortable with the care he gets and is not necessarily the guardian. That would be a win for us in this proceeding. Really, that's how passionate she is, that he is not getting the care that he needs at his current placement."

Patricia's concerns proved prophetic. Russell had multiple emergency room visits. After his transfer to Wildflower Lodge in October 2024, that facility documented what Patricia had long suspected—dangerous over-medication. Their November 7, 2024 letter to hospice physician Dr. Bryan Conklin revealed:

  • Russell arrived at Wildflower falling frequently
  • When given his Nadine's Nest medications, he became so sedated he could not open his eyes and had to be spoon-fed
  • He experienced four falls within his first three days
  • After identifying and holding Lamotrigine on October 22, Russell's sedation significantly improved, falls diminished, and he regained the ability to walk with a walker and eat without assistance
  • Kelly Frias, Wildflower's Wellness Director, stated: "We don't use medication to a level of sedation to control behaviors at Wildflower Lodge"

The records show Patricia's value as a caregiver. Staff repeatedly sought her help when Russell refused care. She could convince him to shower when staff couldn't. She noticed his dry skin, the ants in his room, his need for moisturizer. When she brought pie for other residents, she explained, "I just wanted to do something nice for the other folks too"—her compassion extending beyond just her husband.

Former caregiver Lisa Nice testified: "Russell was always delighted to see Patty." Elisha Callahand confirmed other residents "did love Patty." Yet Patricia faced accusations of causing agitation, of touching residents inappropriately, of disrupting the facility—accusations that whistleblowers later revealed were false, part of a documented pattern to "justify visitation restrictions."

Russell's Pleas

Russell's words, captured in recordings and logs:

  • "GET ME OUT OF HERE"
  • "Why can't I leave?"
  • "You're gonna take me home"
  • "I don't want to come here again"
  • "Why don't you just live down here?"
  • "You gotta stay here"
  • "Not, ain't nothing that makes me feel good in this son of a bitch"

Fifteen documented escape attempts. Repeated requests to go home. Every recorded visit with Patricia included his request to leave with her.

The facility's response wasn't to honor his wishes or address his distress. According to Callahand, Tempie Bartell's "initial reaction was to contact hospice and get him on more medication."

Instead of moving Russell to a facility that could meet his needs—as Patricia desperately sought—the ABHR cream was increased to four times daily. Instead of allowing comfort from his wife's presence, the door was locked.

Part Five: The Documented Sequence

The Pattern Elements

The isolation of Russell Bingaman followed a documented pattern, with the guardian logs providing independent verification:

Documentation Manipulation:

  • Staff instructed to "document negative behaviors after Patty's visits, regardless of whether such behaviors were related to the visit" (Callahand declaration)
  • "Chart behaviors as if Patty caused them" (Nice declaration)
  • 94.4% positive visits in original logs
  • Missing pages in court submissions
  • Guardian logs show visits the facility didn't record
  • Guardian logs show facility selectively reporting negative behaviors to guardians while omitting positive visits

Medical Exploitation:

  • Hospice enrollment without meeting criteria (speech not limited to five words)
  • Prognosis to "enable Mr. Bingman to have access to hospice care" when guardians were "unaware of any diagnosis" warranting six-month prognosis (December 2024 Baum statement)
  • Chemical restraints increasing with legal proceedings
  • Medications continued despite documented adverse reactions (Ativan, Benadryl)

Authority Confusion:

  • Invalid IBL ruled "not valid" by DHS (October 2023)
  • Attorney still billing for "issue with IBL" (June 2024) though IBL invalid and unused
  • No court order existed (July 2024)
  • DHS phone call "advice" with no legal basis
  • Guardians claiming authority beyond legal limits through abuse of ORS 125.323

Financial Motivation:

  • $1,000/day "additional staffing" charges without evidence of additional staff hired
  • Attorney billing estate for IBL work though IBL was invalid and unused
  • Facility billing for services not provided

Information Control:

  • Patricia not informed of hospice enrollment
  • Patricia not informed of telehealth appointment
  • Patricia not informed of medication changes
  • Patricia locked out without notice
  • Hospice enrollment deliberately concealed: "Patty is not aware Russell is on hospice again"
  • Guardian logs show facility controlling information flow to both Patricia and guardians

The Two-Year Timeline

The isolation of Russell Bingaman from his wife didn't happen overnight. Records show a two-year progression:

Phase 1 (February 2022 - December 2022):

  • Initial hospice enrollment despite not meeting criteria
  • April 2022: Social Worker documents facility agreeing to allow Patricia visits "as often as she wants"
  • December 2022: Mediated meeting where Bartell expresses concern about "increased agitation" with Patricia's visits

Phase 2 (January 2023 - December 2023):

  • March 2023: Russell discharged from hospice for "STAGNATION OF DECLINES, PATIENT NO LONGER MEETS CRITERIA"
  • August 2023: Invalid IBL created
  • October 2023: Police enforcement of invalid IBL
  • December 2023: Guardianship proceedings initiated

Phase 3 (January 2024 - June 2024):

  • March 2024: Family agreement guaranteeing Patricia's visits
  • March-July 2024: 36 documented visits with 94.4% showing no issues
  • Documentation manipulation begins
  • Attorney billing for invalid IBL work

Phase 4 (June - July 2024):

  • June 27: Hospice re-enrollment without proper examination
  • July 3: Physical lockout begins
  • July 10: DHS phone call advising "lock door to keep Patty out"
  • July 10: Hospice notes "PATTY IS NOT AWARE RUSSELL IS ON HOSPICE AGAIN"

On July 10, 2024, when DHS officials advised that Nadine's Nest could "lock door to keep Patty out," they provided the mechanism for what had been building for two years. They didn't invoke the IBL that had been ruled invalid. They didn't cite a court order that didn't exist. They advised a locked door based on guardians' wishes. The same day, hospice notes recorded: "Patty is not aware Russell is on hospice again."

A husband who repeatedly asked to go home would remain locked away from his wife for forty-six days. A wife who had visited her husband nearly daily for 58 years would stand outside a locked door. Since they were 14 and 15 years old, Patricia and Russell had only been separated by his service in Vietnam. Now they were separated by a locked door, justified by documents that didn't exist and authority that was never granted.

The guardian logs—maintained by those seeking to restrict Russell's contact with his wife—provide proof showing discrepancies between what the facility reported to guardians and what appeared in official records.

Later hospice paperwork would attempt to rewrite these facts; we address those alterations in our next chapter.

This report relies on sworn testimony, clinical records, guardian logs maintained by Cheryl Murchison, and agency communications cited above. We will append any formal statements those parties later publish in court or with regulators.

Next: Part 2B—The Numbers Don't Lie

Disclaimer

This report is based on sworn testimony, contemporaneous records, guardian logs, agency communications, and other documentary evidence cited herein. All factual assertions are supported by the referenced materials, and all opinions or conclusions are presented as interpretations of the disclosed facts. Where possible, direct quotations are used to ensure accuracy and context.

The events described concern matters of significant public interest, including elder care, guardianship practices, and state regulatory oversight. The information presented is intended for public awareness and accountability.

The authors have made diligent efforts to verify the accuracy of all statements and to protect the privacy of non-central individuals. Names and identifying details of third parties have been anonymized or redacted unless already a matter of public record or essential to understanding the issues.

Any communications labeled "for settlement purposes" or similar are included only after confirming they are not subject to mediation privilege or court-ordered confidentiality.

Audio and video materials referenced in this report have been published in transcript form, with consent from Patricia Bingaman, personal representative of Russell Bingaman. Non-consenting third parties have been anonymized or redacted in accordance with applicable privacy laws.

If any party believes a statement herein is inaccurate or wishes to provide a formal response, please contact Info@valorinvestigations.com. Verified corrections or statements will be appended to the online version of this report.

Have You Experienced Similar Issues?

If you've faced isolation, overmedication, or denial of care in Union County adult foster homes — or witnessed concerning practices — contact me. While I won't provide medical or legal advice, I can help review your situation and connect you with resources for accountability.