Share this @internewscast.com

A hospice facility in Iowa has been fined $10,000 after it mistakenly presumed a woman dead hours before she was discovered gasping for air inside a body bag at a funeral home, officials said.

A nurse at Glen Oaks Alzheimer’s Special Care Center in Urbandale determined that the 66-year-old woman had died on Jan. 3, and the resident was transferred to a funeral home, the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals said in a report issued Wednesday.

The woman, who has not been publicly identified, was admitted to hospice care Dec. 28 because of “senile degeneration of the brain,” the report says.

At 6 a.m. Jan. 3, a nurse checked on the patient and found no signs of life, according to the report.

Glen Oaks Alzheimer’s Special Care Center in Urbandale, Iowa.
Glen Oaks Alzheimer’s Special Care Center in Urbandale, Iowa.Google Maps

Her “mouth was open, her eyes were fixed, and there were no breath sounds,” the report says, adding that a nurse was unable to locate the woman’s pulse using her stethoscope.

The nurse put her hand on the woman’s abdomen and “noted no movement,” the report says. The nurse presumed the resident had died and notified a family member and the on-call hospice nurse, according to the report.

“Hospice agreed to call the funeral home and did so,” it says.

Nearly an hour and 40 minutes later, a funeral director placed the woman’s body on a gurney “inside a cloth bag and zipped it shut,” the report says. The director left with the woman about 10 minutes later, the report says. Shortly before 8:30 a.m., staff members at the funeral home discovered that the woman was still alive, the report says.

“Funeral home staff unzipped the bag and observed Resident #1’s chest was moving and she was gasping for air. The funeral home then called 911 and hospice,” the report says.

When EMS personnel arrived, they recorded the woman’s pulse and noted she had no eye movement or verbal, vocal or motor response, according to the report.

The woman was taken to the emergency room. She was returned to the hospice facility and died with her family at her side two days later, according to the state report.

The state fined the facility $10,000, the maximum allowed under Iowa law, said a spokesperson for the state Department of Inspections and Appeals.

A state citation dated Wednesday said that the facility “failed to provide adequate direction to ensure appropriate cares and services were provided” and that it failed to ensure she received “dignified treatment and care at end of life.”

The hospice facility’s executive director said representatives have been in touch with the resident’s family.

“We care deeply for our residents and remain fully committed to supporting their end-of-life care,” Executive Director Lisa Eastman said in a statement. “All employees undergo regular training so they can best support end-of-life care and the death of our residents.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Mandatory evacuation orders in effect as 1,000-acre wildfire threatens Grand Canyon's North Rim

Evacuation Orders Issued as 1,000-Acre Wildfire Nears Grand Canyon’s North Rim

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is temporarily closed as mandatory…
Drum Corps International: Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps preparing for home DCI performance at Benedictine University in Lisle

Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps Gears Up for DCI Show at Benedictine University in Lisle

LISLE, Ill. (WLS) — A local drum and bugle corps is making…
Judge orders Trump administration to halt indiscriminate immigration stops, arrests in California

Court Mandates Trump Administration to Cease Random Immigration Checks and Arrests in California

LOS ANGELES — A federal judge on Friday commanded the Trump administration…
Naperville news today: Centennial Beach closed amid death investigation at 500 West Jackson Avenue, park district says

Naperville Update: Centennial Beach Closure During Investigation of Incident at 500 West Jackson Avenue, Reports Park District

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (WLS) — A west suburban beach is closed to the…
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed shortly after his capture.

Guantanamo Bay Trial May Lead to Death Sentence for 9/11 Architect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed

THE chief architect of the 9/11 terrorist attacks could be sentenced to death after…
A six-year-old girl and a 45-year-old man.

Groom, 45, Marries 6-Year-Old in Disturbing Wedding That Shocks Even the Taliban, Highlighting the Tragic Reality of Child Brides

A 45-year-old groom allegedly married a six-year-old girl in Afghanistan in a…
Soldier walking past Patriot air defense systems at a military hub.

Russia Claims Trump is ‘Backing Terrorists’ Following US Decision to Send Weapons and Patriots to Ukraine Through NATO

RUSSIA has lashed out at Donald Trump after the US president agreed…
Hochul defends handling of sexual harassment, toxic workplace complaints against ex-press secretary

Governor Hochul Addresses Allegations of a Hostile Environment and Misconduct by Former Press Secretary

ALBANY — Gov. Kathy Hochul is standing by her administration’s response to…

Keir’s Small Boat Strategy Fails to Discourage Crossings – French Accused of Inaction by Immigration Chief

By Julia Hartley-Brewer IMAGINE you live in a basket case country like…
Livvy Dunne was her own celebrity look-alike at Twins-Pirates game

Livvy Dunne Stuns as Her Own Doppelgänger at Twins-Pirates Match

Livvy Dunne was in Minnesota to watch Paul Skenes and ended up…
Woman giving a speech at a podium.

Emotional Scene as Teenage Girl Delivers Tearful Eulogy for Murdered Mother and Stepfather, Leading to Her Being a Prime Suspect

This is the poignant moment when a teenager delivered an emotional funeral…
'Wheelchair Waver' struck by alleged drunk driver — decades after similar tragedy left him disabled

Decades After a Tragedy Left Him Disabled, ‘Wheelchair Waver’ Hit by Suspected Drunk Driver Again

A cherished man from Kentucky, recognized for greeting passing cars from his…