Death at California Elderly Home After Dishwasher Soap Served Instead of Juice

[appalachiablue]

The Guardian, Aug. 30, 2022. - Ed.

- Officials investigating after 3 residents at San Mateo facility reportedly ingested liquid given mistakenly by staff. -

One resident of a California home for senior citizens died and 2 others were hospitalized after the complex’s staff mistakenly served them dishwashing liquid thinking it was drinking juice over the weekend, according to officials. Three people living at Atria Park senior living facility in San Mateo, CA just south of San Francisco, had to be taken to a hospital after ingesting the liquid in question on Saturday morning.

One of them later died, and the local police, the state department of social services and the facility itself are investigating, Atria Park officials said. Atria Park’s leaders also said that they quickly suspended the employees determined to have had a hand in serving the dishwasher liquid to the stricken residents while the investigation is pending, but otherwise they would not comment “out of respect for the people involved”. The safety and wellbeing of our residents remain our top priorities at all times,” the statement added.

The case highlighted one of the worst outcomes imaginable for the more than 800,000 people residing in licensed assisted living facilities across the US and their loved ones.

The San Francisco news outlet Kron-TV identified the dead resident as 93-year-old Gertrude Elizabeth Murison Maxwell. Her daughter, Marcia Cutchin, said Maxwell had dementia and needed help to feed herself. She went to the hospital with her mouth, throat and esophagus severely blistered.. Maxwell’s 8 children and 20 grandchildren are now in mourning after what has been characterized to them as a deadly mistake by the employees of a complex that attracted the grieving family because of the good reputation it enjoyed....

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/30/elderly-home-california-san-mateo-death-dishwasher-liquid

[Runningdawg]

1. This was NO mistake. NO ONE mistakes soap for juice.

[marybourg]

4. My drain cleaner is a thin orange

liquid with a pleasant citrusy smell.

[Journeyman]

5. And if there were a picture of fruit on the label, a non-English speaker could be mislead . . .

[appalachiablue]

9. Possibly and tragic, see #6.

[appalachiablue]

8. Yes indeed, sigh.. See #6

[Yonnie3]

2. I recall that a school served a cleaning chemical to students

The solution was packed similarly to the beverage (milk?). Bulk supplies are often not supplied with anything but a text label. There are few pictures or logos. When I hear of such things I wonder if illiteracy is the main cause of these incidents.

[appalachiablue]

6. Yes, labeling, literacy and whether items are placed in the correct area

so that employees don't grab the wrong container by mistake are critical. Also how well workers are trained and whether they're given adequate time and resources to perform essential duties- particularly in highly rated residences like this center. - What a tragedy.

I've seen articles about reduced training requirements for new hires in these centers to allow mgmt. to employ less qualified workers who can be paid less. Hiring cheaper labor is utilized by many of the corporations that own the residences. Workers are paid so little that they often have to work a hectic schedule of several job and shifts, rushing from one place to another. All to barely get by financially.

When Covid finally started to be viewed as a serious public health issue, lobbyists for the residential care industry quickly acted to push through legislation permitting hiring workers who hadn't completed the required number of training courses (and could be paid less). The rising number of Covid patients then and the need for more care workers was all cover for the move I think.

[ShazzieB]

3. Let there be lawsuits.

There are lawyers that specialize in this kind of stuff (nursing home screwups). There's one in Chicago who advertises on TV. All. The. Damned. Time. Guys like him are sharks, and a story like this is chum to them. And I say more power to them, because this was really heinous.

That nursing home better have a fuckton of liability insurance!

[appalachiablue]

7. Amen, TY!