Plum man accused of interfering with father's hospice care

A Plum man is facing several charges after, borough police say, he interfered with health services for his father, who is receiving hospice care.

Plum police arrested Kevin Douglas Michel, 56, on Tuesday, Jan. 9 after responding to a complaint in the 800 block of Garlow Boulevard from a medical alert company.

Michel was not at the house when police arrived shortly after 8 p.m. He later was found driving and was arrested for driving under the influence, police wrote in a criminal complaint.

Police said they have responded to the address for domestic incidents in the past and were familiar with the situation between Michel and his father.

An officer wrote in the complaint that when he arrived at the house, he found the living room in disarray with an oxygen machine in two pieces, breathing tubes separated and on the floor in several places, prescription pill bottles open and pills on the floor, a spilled cup of unknown liquid, medical billing and paperwork scattered about, and a lamp on its side.

According to the complaint, Michel’s father told police that his son came home intoxicated, after which they got into an argument and Michel tore the place apart.

Police said they contacted the father’s hospice provider, Bridges, to get an aide or caretaker to help with the current situation and attend to the broken oxygen machine.

An on-call nurse told police that Michel’s father was care-dependent and getting care about five times a week, the complaint said.

The nurse told police that earlier in the day, around 2 p.m., Michel prevented three staff members from caring for his father, threatened them and chased them away, police said. They were there for about a half-hour before an administrator decided to stop caring for Michel’s father because of what Michel had done that day and in the past, according to the complaint.

Police said the father was coughing heavily and blood was coming from his right nostril. Plum EMS was called to help and evaluate him; they were able to put his oxygen concentrator back together, but it still needed to be repaired, police said. The man thought it was best for him to be taken to UPMC East hospital in Monroeville, the complaint said.

After his arrest, Michel said he chased off the Bridges employees because they give conflicting information and do not help his father, police said.

Plum police charged Michel with a felony count of neglect of a care-dependent person, and misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person, criminal mischief, unauthorized use of an automobile, and obstructing the administration of law.

Michel was arraigned Wednesday morning and sent to Allegheny County Jail after being unable to post 10% of a $2,000 bail, according to court records.

His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 24.