Nursing Home Resident Declared Dead Found Gasping For Air At Funeral Home: A 66-year-old resident of the Glen Oaks Alzheimer’s Special Care Center in Urbandale, Iowa was declared dead by the nursing home on January 3, 2023. She was transported to a local funeral home where she was found alive and gasping for air when the body bag was opened. As a result, the nursing home reportedly was fined $10,000.
According to state investigators: “Resident #1 was 66 years old. She was admitted to the facility on 12/20/21 with diagnoses including end stage early onset dementia, anxiety and depression. The resident was admitted into hospice care on 12/28/22 due to senile degeneration of the brain. Comfort measures including lorazepam and morphine were initiated at that time.”
“On 1/05/22 at 2:10 p.m. interview with LPN F revealed she had been with Resident #1 every hour on the hour throughout the night of 1/2/23 to 1/3/23 administering her lorazapam and morphine as ordered for comfort. At
6:00 a.m. Resident #1’s mouth was open, her eyes were fixed, and there were no breath sounds. She was unable to locate Resident #1’s apical pulse using her stethoscope. She placed her hand on Resident #1’s abdomen and noted no movement. LPN F believed she stayed and continued to assess Resident #1’s condition for five minutes. She felt Resident #1 had passed away. She notified Resident #1’s family member and the on call hospice nurse. Hospice agreed to call the funeral home and did so.”
“The Funeral Director arrived at the facility to pick up Resident #1 at approximately 7:38 a.m. A second LPN (LPN D) and the Funeral Director placed Resident #1’s body on the gurney inside a cloth bag and zipped it shut. When interviewed both LPN D (1/11/23 at 9:25 a.m.) and the Funeral Director (1/9/23 at 8:52 a.m.) reported there were no signs of life at that time. The Funeral Director left with Resident #1 at approximately 7:48 a.m. At approximately 8:26 a.m. funeral home staff unzipped the bag and observed Resident #1’s chest moving and she gasped for air. The funeral home then called 911 and hospice.”
“Record review revealed EMS (Emergency Medical Services) arrived at the funeral home at 8:30 a.m. on 1/03/23. EMS recorded Resident #1’s vitals as BP (blood pressure) 65/40, pulse at 108, oxygen saturation level at 74, and respirations at 17. There was no eye movement, no verbal or vocal response and no motor response.”
“On 1/03/23 at 10:03 a.m. EMS transported Resident #1 to MercyOne’s Emergency Department (ED) for further evaluation. ED records revealed her BP at 69/54 temperature at 96.9 Respiration shallow at six per minute, SPO2 73%. The resident had advanced directives on file and paperwork showing she was on hospice. The director of the hospice agency and the family confirmed she was DNR (do not resuscitate). Resident #1 returned to the facility on 1/03/22 with
continued hospice care around the clock. On 1/05/23 at 01:40 a.m. Resident #1 passed away at the facility with hospice and her family at her side.”
If you or a loved one suffered injuries (or worse) while a resident of a nursing home in Iowa or in another U.S. state due to a nursing home fall, nursing home negligence, nursing home abuse, nursing home under-staffing, or the nursing home failing to properly care for a vulnerable adult, you should promptly find a nursing home claim lawyer in Iowa or in your state who may investigate your nursing home claim for you and file a nursing home claim on your behalf or behalf of your loved one, if appropriate.
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