State officials say no violation in death of elderly man

Diane Allen, supervisor with the Nevada Bureau of Licensure and Certification, said a review of William John Hamilton's medical records revealed no diagnosis that he had Alzheimer's disease.

The 74-year-old ward of the county left the Country Care One facility through a window and apparently fell into the nearby Highland Ditch. His body was found Wednesday several miles down stream when it became caught in a grate at a water treatment plant.

Country Care One is not licensed to care for Alzheimer's patients. Such a license requires tighter measures to prevent patients from wandering.

"From our investigation, Mr. Hamilton didn't have a diagnosis of Alzheimer's and didn't have any behavior typical of Alzheimer's such as wandering or combativeness," Allen said.

Hamilton's autopsy showed cerebral atrophy, or brain shrinkage, which would indicate dementia, Washoe County Coroner Vern McCarty said.

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