Assisted Living Facility Resident Dies After Swallowing Detergent
A 93-year-old Alzheimer's patient at an assisted living facility in Delray Beach, Florida has died after accidentally swallowing diswasher detergent. The state agency is investigating and the facility may face a $10,000 fine for not properly securing its kitchen, which allowed this tragic event to occur.
The resident, who was described as being in the late stages of Alzheimer's disease, went into the dementia unit's satellite kitchen in the early morning while the two staff members on duty were caring for another resident. He then apparently drank the dishwasher detergent and was discovered by the staff members. Though they called 911, paramedics and doctors were not able to save him and he died 18 hours later.
Though the facility claims it did nothing wrong and could not have predicted something like this would occur, records show that the facility had previously been cited for not properly securing areas of its dementia unit, including the kitchen, beauty salon, and laundry room. According to the report, residents had access to potentially dangerous items such as a hot coffee pot, hot curling irons, and various chemical products.
This story illustrates the inadequacy of state inspections. Even though the facility had already been cited for not securing the kitchen, the administration was apparently not motivated to correct the problem, leading to the resident's death. Nursing home and assisted living facility administrators should be held more accountable for their actions so that these problems can be addressed before someone dies needlessly, not after.
For more information, visit the Nursing Home Advocates' page on Accidental Death in Assisted Living Facilities.
