Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Kourtney Mansfield, 20, was severely injured in what she called an unprovoked stabbing by her client.
- Her family says she's struggling to breathe, walk and sleep post-attack.
- Training for health care workers on safety and de-escalation is deemed crucial, expert says.
ST. GEORGE – There are new details about a brutal stabbing that left a 20-year-old caretaker seriously injured.
According to an affidavit, St. George police found her on the ground, covered in blood around 2 a.m. Saturday. Police said her 72-year-old client, Keith Dee Johnson, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
On GoFundMe*, the family of this stabbing victim identified her as Kourtney Mansfield, a student at Dixie Tech. Her sister told KSL that Mansfield is traumatized and really struggling after the incident. The GoFundMe page said, "She is in a lot of pain and is struggling to breathe, sleep, walk and go about daily living tasks. This is life altering and Kourtney needs all the love and support she can get. She has the kindest heart and is such a sweet individual."
Police documents said she was stabbed in the back, chest, head, hand and ankle.
According to the affidavit, the caretaker told police she was sitting on the couch when Johnson attacked her. She said it was unprovoked. Johnson told officers, without them questioning him, that she had attacked him.
She works for Chrysalis, a company that provides care for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Her employer released a statement Monday, writing, "We are shocked and saddened that this tragedy occurred and extremely grateful to the brave neighbors and first responders who helped our staff. Our thoughts and prayers are with her, her family, and all those impacted by this incident and we hope she is able to make a full recovery."
Matt Hansen, executive director of the Homecare and Hospice Association of Utah, of which Chrysalis is not a member, said health care employees need training for situations like this.
"First of all, with the onboarding is training them to be vigilant," Hansen said. "Secondly, train them how to get out, that if there is danger, they need to be aware of how to get out safely and not depress the situation that they're not able to deal with. Third would be de-escalation techniques."
He said caretakers should know where the exit is and have a clear pathway to that destination.
He said, know the capabilities of the person you're treating.
"You have to know if there's any type of a weapon or potential weapon that's arm's length," Hansen said.
He said the association provides de-escalation training that includes monitoring tone of voice, gestures, body language and conversation techniques.
Hansen said it's critical providers have this training regularly.
"Role playing is important," he said. "I've seen virtual trainings with headsets where they can put them in different scenarios and helps coach people through the situation."
When situations escalate, Hansen said if someone can't get out, use self-defense.
"There are also tools to be able to call for help," he said. "There are a number of different apps that are available on the phone … With a single button, it'll sound a loud alarm, which oftentimes will startle, scare an attacker, and at the same time, it's calling 911."
Hansen said this is a tragic situation.
"We have to be very careful not to pass judgment on the individual nor on the caregiver," he said. "If somebody has a particular diagnosis, it's dementia or schizophrenia or other diagnoses, they may be perceiving the reality much differently."
Hansen said health care workers should be prepared to handle heated confrontations, but he said this case is rare.
"We don't want people to be afraid of going into people's homes. There's so much good that is done in home care," he said. "However, we are aware of a few other cases. And we mourn with them. And sometimes it's resulting in a caregiver's death."
Johnson is being held in the Purgatory Correctional Facility.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
