San Mateo senior living resident dies after being served dishwashing liquid instead of fruit juice at Atria Park Senior Living Facility. Victim id as Gertrude Elizabeth Murison Maxwell, 93 year old woman with dementia and 8 children.
A resident of a San Francisco Bay Area senior citizens home died after being mistakenly served dishwashing liquid as drinking juice over the weekend according to reports.
Three residents of Atria Park Senior Living Facility in San Mateo, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of San Francisco, were taken to the hospital after falling ill upon being served the drink on Saturday morning, KRON-TV reported.
Despite best efforts, Gertrude Elizabeth Murison Maxwell, a 93 year old mother of eight, suffering dementia wouldn’t make it and passed away.
‘We have been working with local authorities, who have informed us that one resident passed away. Our sincerest condolences are with the family,’ Atria said in a release.
A source told NBC Bay Area the nonpotable liquid might have been confused with grape juice.
Human error and worker shortage cited
‘There may have been a mistake,’ the source involved in the investigation told the local NBC affiliate. ‘A jug of grape juice is what somebody thought they had picked up and poured into glasses, but it was some sort of cleaning fluid.’
An individual who has a client at the San Mateo facility said she wasn’t too surprised of what had happened, telling NBC Bay Area that the assisted living facility has a severe labor shortage.
The incident led to the senior home facility suspending involved employees while it investigates. The facility is also is cooperating with authorities, the released statement according to ABC News.
Maxwell arrived at the hospital with ‘severe blistering of her mouth and throat and esophagus,’ the woman’s daughter, Marcia Cutchin told KRON-TV.
Atria told the family that the substance was an ‘alkaline cleaning solution that eats protein,’ she said.
Gertrude Murison Maxwell according to her daughter was incapable of feeding herself.
Maxwell leaves eight children and 20 grandchildren, her daughter added.
