Anatomy of Isolation: The Documentation Review

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.

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.

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

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."

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

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 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.