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
Grandmother with three grandsons sitting on a rocking chair.

Mother Endures Heartbreak as Hit-and-Run Claims Lives of Twin Toddlers, 8 Years After Another Son’s Tragic Waterfall Accident

A MOTHER tragically lost her twin boys in a hit-and-run just eight…
Russian lawmakers claim WhatsApp is a national security threat, should prepare to leave the country

Russian politicians assert that WhatsApp poses a threat to national security and suggest it may need to exit the country.

A Russian lawmaker overseeing the country’s IT sector announced Friday that WhatsApp…
JSO: 2-year-old girl missing, believed to be with 26-year-old woman

2-Year-Old Girl Reported Missing, Suspected to Be with 26-Year-Old Woman: JSO

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has announced that Rieva Scarlett is missing. The…
Russia says NATO threatens WWIII in latest deterrence plan that could take down Kaliningrad ‘faster than ever’

Russia claims NATO’s new deterrence plan poses a risk of sparking World War III and could lead to a swift takeover of Kaliningrad.

On Friday, Russian authorities reacted strongly to NATO’s newly disclosed deterrence strategy,…
Florida GOP rep comes after House's WSJ subscription: 'Filthy'

Florida Republican Representative Criticizes House’s Wall Street Journal Subscription: ‘Inappropriate’

Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) is urging the House to cancel its subscriptions…
In-N-Out heiress Lynsi Snyder reveals she's moving family out of California as company expands east

In-N-Out Heiress Lynsi Snyder Announces Move Out of California as Business Expands Eastward

In-N-Out of here! Billionaire Lynsi Snyder, heir to the In-N-Out Burger fortune,…
The moment that put CC Sabathia on path to become Bronx legend

The Turning Point That Made CC Sabathia a Yankee Icon

In his debut season with the Yankees, CC Sabathia led the team…
US revokes visas of Brazilian justices after its top court cracks down on ex-president Bolsonaro

U.S. Cancels Visas of Brazilian Judges Following Supreme Court’s Action Against Former President Bolsonaro

SAO PAULO, July 18 – The United States is set to revoke…
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters takes to Canal Street for crime prevention walk

Sheriff T.K. Waters Leads Crime Prevention Walk on Canal Street in Jacksonville

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office’s crime prevention walks are part of an ongoing…
Catholic bishops call mandatory reporting law 'brazen act of religious discrimination'

Catholic Bishops Label Mandatory Reporting Law as ‘Blatant Religious Discrimination’

Roman Catholic leaders and the U.S. Justice Department are challenging a law…
Teen killer Aiden Fucci loses appeal, life sentence stands

Aiden Fucci’s Appeal Rejected, Life Sentence Upheld

The teenager received a life sentence in 2023 for fatally stabbing a…
Family of Jabari Peoples adds ALEA to petition seeking information in police shooting involving 18-year-old

Jabari Peoples’ Family Pushes for Transparency by Including ALEA in Petition for Details on 18-Year-Old’s Police Shooting

HOMEWOOD, Ala. (WIAT) — Attorneys representing Jabari Peoples’ family have filed a…