Nursing Home Gave Residents Dishwashing Liquid Instead Of Juice: The San Mateo Police Department Criminal Investigations Bureau initiated a death investigation into the circumstances involving the death of one and hospitalization of two care home facility residents. On August 28, 2022 at approximately 8:10 p.m., a San Mateo Police Department patrol officer was dispatched on the report of a female being poisoned at the Atria Hillside care home facility located in San Mateo. SMPD began a comprehensive investigation and learned three home care residents were hospitalized after ingesting toxic chemicals. Tragically, one of the three residents, a 93-year-old female, was pronounced deceased at a local hospital. SMPD Detectives are actively investigating this case jointly with the California Department of Social Services Ombudsman, and Atria Hillsdale is cooperating with this investigation.
Atria Hillside nursing home resident 93-year-old Gertrude Elizabeth Murison Maxwell died at a local hospital. Maxwell’s daughter, Marcia Cutchin, told local television news station KRON-TV that her mother had serve blistering of her mouth, throat, and esophagus when she arrived at the hospital and that the facility told her the substance was an alkaline cleaning solution that eats protein. First responders told Cutchin they believed the residents ingested the substance on their own. However, Cutchin told the news station that would be impossible because her elderly mother was unable to feed herself: “Many people like my mother, you have to hold a cup to her mouth and tip it into her mouth.” In addition, Cutchin stated that her mother had broken her hip twice in the past six months, but one break was not reported by the facility or treated.
In a statement to the news station, Atria confirmed they are conducting an internal investigation into how the residents were served dishwashing liquid. They have also suspended the employees who were involved, according to the statement: “We can confirm three of our residents were recently transported to the hospital after mistakenly being served dishwashing liquid as drinking juice. We have been working with local authorities, who have informed us that one resident passed away. Our sincerest condolences are with the family. When this occurred, our staff immediately contacted authorities, and the residents were transported to the hospital for evaluation and treatment.”
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