Name of Victim: Shirley Crow
Age of Victim: 86
Sex of Victim: Female
What Is This Testimony About: Other Institutional Betrayal
State: KS
Name of Hospital(s), Nursing Home(s), Hospice, or other facilities victim was admitted to (List all that Apply): Via Christie Saint Francis, HomeStead Assisted Living, Home Instead in home services
Did the victim survive? No
Date of Death: 11/02/2024
Contact Name: Stacy Crow
Relationship to Victim: Daughter-in-Law
Was the victim a military Veteran? No
Was the victim considered special needs, or did they have any kind of disability? No
Was the victim admitted to the hospital? Yes
County Hospital is located in: Sedgwick
Date Admitted: 10/22/2024
Was the victim isolated at any time during hospitalization? Yes
Was the victim or family pressured to sign a Do Not Resuscitate? Yes
Was the victim physically restrained? Yes
Was the victim deprived of food and water while in the hospital? Yes
Was victim placed on a ventilator? No
What medications were administered to the victim by doctors or hospital staff?
Antibiotics, Anxiety Medications, Atorvastatin, Blood Thinners, Blood Pressure Medications
What medications did the hospital explicitly refuse to administer to the victim?
Blood Thinners, Blood Pressure Medications, Oxygen
Has this incident been reported to any agency such as VAERS, HHS, JACHO, CMS, Medical Board or others? No, it was reported to APS and a 14 month investigation.
Would you be interested in participating in podcasts or other media? Yes
Seventeen Days from Home to Death: How Guardianship Stripped Shirley Crow of Her Rights, Her Family and Her Life
Shirley Crow was a fiercely independent woman who loved life and wanted to live. She and her husband, Ronnie, had been married for 66 years. She adored her family, faithfully called to check on them and cheered loudly from the stands at her grandchildren’s games. Always beautifully dressed, with curled hair, lipstick and often a flower in her hair, Shirley took pride in herself and the life she had built.
Although Shirley had dementia and needed help with transportation and medications, her family says she remained capable of following her daily routines and was adamant about staying in her own home. Her son sought guardianship to protect her, keep her safe and arrange limited in-home assistance. A compassionate temporary conservator initially provided the help Shirley needed.
But after relatives contested the arrangement, the court replaced her with a professional guardian and conservator. According to Shirley’s family, that was when everything changed.
The guardian expanded Shirley’s care to 24 hours a day at Shirley’s expense, yet family members and caregivers discovered serious concerns. Prescribed blood pressure medication, blood thinners and antibiotics were allegedly left unused. When Shirley developed blood in her urine, a caregiver was reportedly told it could wait until the following day. Medical records later revealed that Shirley had been diagnosed with pneumonia, but most of her prescribed antibiotics remained in the bottle.
Her family sought the guardian’s removal. Instead, on October 16, 2024, Shirley was removed from the home she loved.
Shirley was not moved into the memory-care facility where Ronnie lived. She was taken across town to an unfamiliar assisted-living apartment. Family members say those transporting her refused to disclose the destination and even stopped at a police station in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent her granddaughter from following.
When Shirley arrived, her bed had not been assembled. She had no food, cups, pillows or personal comforts. A neighbor supplied a blanket, and a caregiver used her own money to buy Shirley something to eat. That caregiver also witnessed Shirley receiving another dose of medication shortly after she had already been given her scheduled dose. When warned, the guardian allegedly responded that it was fine.
The next day, Shirley’s granddaughter found her heavily medicated, confused, still wearing the same clothes and sitting beneath the borrowed blanket. Within days, Shirley suffered significant bleeding and was transported to the hospital.
Her family was not promptly informed. When her granddaughter reached Shirley’s room, she found her asking, “Is it too much to even ask for a drink of water?” After the granddaughter requested water, hospital staff arrived with security and removed her at the guardian’s direction. Shirley was then placed under confidential admission, further isolating her from those trying to protect her.
The family says they were told Shirley had only a urinary tract infection and would recover. Yet they were also told they could not see her unless Shirley’s son signed a Do Not Resuscitate order. He refused because Shirley had made it clear that she wanted efforts to save her life. The matter went before a judge, who ordered the DNR after obtaining two physicians’ signatures.
On October 30, Shirley was discharged—not for rehabilitation or restorative treatment, but into hospice. Her family says they had not been told she was terminally ill. The guardian made the decision, and Shirley was finally transferred to the facility where Ronnie lived.
When her family was allowed inside the following day, Shirley was hanging partly off the bed. She cried when she saw them.
“My family. You guys are here. You’re finally here.”
After nearly three weeks apart, Ronnie was brought to her bedside. He recognized his wife, kissed her forehead and wept. “I was supposed to go first,” he told her.
Shirley’s family was told oxygen would not benefit her because it could prolong her life. Yet when Ronnie began dying less than two weeks later, he received oxygen as a comfort measure. Their question remains painfully simple: Why was Shirley denied that same comfort—and why was prolonging her life treated as something to avoid?
Shirley died on November 2, just 17 days after she was taken from her home. Her family believes guardianship stripped her of her voice, isolated her from those who loved her and placed life-and-death decisions in the hands of strangers. What began as an effort to protect her ended with a court-ordered DNR, hospice enrollment and a rapid death her family believes was hastened rather than prevented.
Shirley deserved protection, dignity and care—not isolation, chemical restraint and a system that treated her life as expendable.
Betrayal Project USA is documenting abusive guardianship, hospice abuse and other forms of institutional betrayal while demanding recognition, reform and accountability. If you or a loved one has been harmed by abusive guardianship, hospice, COVID-related protocols, shots or policies, please document and share your story at betrayalprojectusa.org. Justice begins with recognition—and silence only protects the system.
