Woman was mistakenly pronounced dead suffocating after being found by Iowa funeral home employees

After incorrectly determining that a 66-year-old resident had passed away and being taken to a funeral home where she woke up “out of breath”, an Iowa care facility now faces a $10,000 fine as a result of their actions.

KCCI, a subsidiary of CBS, was the first to disclose the results of a new report released February 1, 2023 by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals. The report describes the sequence of events that led to the woman being mistakenly presumed dead.

The individual, who has not been named, has been treated at the Alzheimer’s Special Care Center in Glen Oaks since December 2021. brain.”

During the patient’s stay in the hospice, measures were taken to ensure comfort. Several staff members noted that the patient’s lung murmurs “decreased” within a few days. They also noted that the patient had mild convulsions.

At 6 a.m. on January 3, 2023, a woman was pronounced dead after an employee who was only identified as Employee C reported that she “could not detect a pulse” and found that “the resident was not breathing at this time” . time.”

The staff member informed the licensed practical nurse of the situation. The family of the deceased was informed and contacted the nearest funeral home.

The occupant was placed in a body bag and zipped up with the help of another nurse, who was identified as “LPN D”. Shortly after 7:30 a.m., the funeral director arrived and shortly thereafter, the inmate was pronounced dead. After a while, the funeral director left the building.

Ankeni Funeral Home and Crematorium staff began unzipping the bag around 8:26 am.

According to the report, they “saw the (inhabitant’s) chest move as it grabbed oxygen.” [Citation needed]

After that, the funeral home dialed 911, as well as the care facility. When the ambulance arrived, they were able to record that the patient was breathing and had a pulse, but the patient had no eye movements and did not respond verbally.

The resident’s return to the nursing home took place on the same day. According to the article, she passed away in the wee hours of January 5 with her loved ones by her side.

According to Lisa Eastman, the facility’s chief executive, who spoke to CBS News about the incident: “We have been in close contact with the inmate’s family and have just completed a Department of Inspection and Appeals investigation into the issue. ”

“Our residents are very important to us and we will never waver in our commitment to providing them with the best possible end-of-life care. All of our employees regularly participate in training to better assist in the care of our dying and dying clients.”

The facility is being investigated by the DIA for two state violations, each of which could result in a $10,000 fine.

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