[08-27-2022] San Mateo County, CA – One Person Killed, Two Others Hospitalized After Being Served Dishwashing Liquid at San Mateo Elderly Care Facility

According to local news, three residents of an assisted living facility were accidentally given dishwashing liquid instead of drinking juice, and one of them has since passed away in a San Mateo elderly care facility on Saturday, August 27, 2022.

The incident occurred around 8:30 a.m. at the San Mateo facility at Atria Park Senior Living.

According to San Mateo Consolidated Fire, three ambulances were dispatched to the facility on Saturday morning to treat patients.

Atria Park stated that three people were taken to the hospital after mistakenly being served dishwashing liquid as drinking juice.

One family stated that their loved one had died as a result of the incident. Marcia Cutchin claims that a staff member from Atria called to inform her family that her mother, Gertrude M., 93, had ingested a substance and that an ambulance had been dispatched before her family learned of the incident.

According to Cutchin, Maxwell, her mother, had severe blistering of her mouth, throat, and esophagus when she went to the hospital.

When her family first learned about the incident, Atria allegedly told them the substance was an alkaline cleaning solution that eats protein.

Maxwell’s family was informed by the medical staff that there was nothing the staff could do to treat the blistering from the moment she arrived at the hospital.

According to Cutchin and her family, emergency personnel thought the dementia patients had consumed the substance on their own.

Cutchin contests this and asserts that it would be impossible in her mother’s situation since she is unable to feed herself.

Eight children and 20 grandchildren are left behind by Maxwell. Maxwell’s hip was broken after a fall at the facility sometime in the previous six months, shocking the family.

According to Cutchin, when Maxwell was examined for that fall, an x-ray showed that she had broken her hip twice in the previous six months, but only one had been reported or treated.

Cutchin claims that the reputation of this facility was what initially drew her family to it.

According to Cutchin, there needs to be a better system of checks, including the installation of more cameras, to protect people in facilities like Atria.

The California Department of Social Services Ombudsman and the San Mateo Police Department are currently working together to investigate the incident.

Nursing Home Abuse Statistics

According to data compiled by the Department of Justice, at least one in nine people over the age of 60 in the United States have been victims of elder abuse in the previous 12 months. Statistics on nursing home abuse are inaccurate because many victims do not come forward.

Around 110,000 seniors call one of California’s 1,300 licensed nursing homes home, while another 150,000 call one of the state’s 7,500 licensed residential care facilities for the elderly home. An additional 150,000 or more Californians are thought to reside in unlicensed assisted living facilities.

Residents of nursing homes often remain silent about abuse because they are afraid of retaliation or of others accusing them of lying. Others may be unable to reach out for help due to conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Identifying neglect, reporting it, and filing a lawsuit against those responsible often falls on you.

Caregivers must take extreme caution when dispensing medications. The wrong drugs should not be given to elderly people whose health is already fragile. Medication mistakes are common and can be the result of miscommunication, laziness, or incompetence on the part of caregivers and nurses.

San Mateo County Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers

The nationwide epidemic of elder abuse in nursing homes is affecting even California. Many nursing homes fail to provide adequate care for their residents because of a lack of staff, despite state and federal regulations designed to safeguard the elderly and disabled. As a result, loved ones are put in danger of becoming victims of abuse.

According to the state’s Senate Office of Oversight and Outcomes, there are twice as many reports of elder abuse in California as in the rest of the country. An increasing proportion of the state’s population is expected to be seniors in the coming decades.

This means that more elderly people will need the services of nursing homes and similar facilities. Elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation may increase as a result of the strain on California’s nursing homes.

If you see anything that makes you think an elderly person is being abused, you should tell the facility’s management immediately. Your loved one should not remain at the facility until the situation is resolved. If you feel the need to, you should call the police about the incident. Afterwards, contact our San Mateo County nursing home abuse lawyers at Arash Law to assist you in filing a claim. If you suspect nursing home neglect or abuse anywhere in California, please contact us immediately.

Call (888) 488-1391 for a free consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss your case.