ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, OH (WCPO/CNN) - Family members said 67-year-old Jep Paul Patterson decided to move into an apartment at Sem Manor because he needed more support with his disabilities.
"He had a stroke prior so he had to use a walker to get around," said his niece Tamra Foster.
And that's why she and his sister Martha McKee were shocked when a detective called them with tragic news.
"Nobody, family member should hear something like your brother has been dead for two weeks in an apartment." McKee said.
They said the coroner told them that Patterson's body had been decomposing for two weeks before anyone at the assisted living facility noticed he was dead.
The coroner’s office has yet to release a report until they finish their investigation.
A manager found Patterson after a resident complained about the smell coming from his apartment, according to a police report.
"That it took somebody next door to say there's a foul odor. (That) is very upsetting," Foster said.
Management at Sem Manor didn't want to comment, but the sign outside their Anderson Township facility reveals they receive taxpayer money through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The facility’s website advertises that in exchange for 30 percent of a resident's income Sem Manor provides housing and amenities such as scheduled transportation, activities and a caring staff.
But Patterson's family said he was anything but cared for.
"Somebody laying there for two weeks, it's just wrong," McKee said.
The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office said they couldn't comment because the death was still under investigation.
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