By Antonio Planas —
NBC News
An Iowa health care facility has been fined $10,000 for mistakenly presuming dead a woman who hours later was found gasping for air inside a body bag at a funeral home, the state Department of Inspections said in a report. Posted this Wednesday.
A nurse at the Glen Oaks Alzheimer's Special Care Center in Urbandale determined that the 66-year-old woman had died on January 3, so she was transferred to a funeral home.
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The woman, whose identity was not released, had been admitted to hospice on December 28 due to "senile degeneration of the brain," according to the state report.
Glen Oaks Alzheimer's Special Care Center, Urbandale, Iowa.Google Maps
At 6 a.m. on Jan. 3, a nurse examined the patient and found no signs of life, according to the report.
She had "her mouth open, her eyes fixed and no breath sounds were audible," the report says, adding that she detected no pulse with her stethoscope.
The nurse put her hand on the woman's abdomen and "did not notice any movement," the report added.
She assumed that she had died and notified a relative and the nurse on duty at the hospice;
eventually, they informed the funeral home, according to the state report.
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Nearly an hour and 40 minutes later, a funeral home official placed the woman's body on a gurney "inside a cloth bag and zipped it shut," according to the report.
Ten minutes later he left with the woman.
But at 8:30 a.m., funeral home staff discovered the woman was still alive, according to the report.
Shortly before 8:30 a.m., "mortuary staff unzipped the bag and observed Resident #1's chest heaving and panting," the report explains. 911 emergencies and hospice ”, he adds.
When emergency services arrived, they found the woman's pulse but noted that she had no eye movement or verbal, vocal or motor response, according to the report. She was taken to the emergency room and later returned to hospice, where she died with her family. at his side two days later, according to the state report.
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The state fined the center $10,000, the maximum allowed under Iowa law, the Department of Inspections said.
A state subpoena dated Wednesday says the center "failed to provide proper direction to ensure proper care" and failed to ensure that the woman received "dignified end-of-life treatment and care."
The hospice executive director said her representatives have been in contact with the woman's family.
“We care deeply about our residents and remain fully committed to supporting their end-of-life care,” said Director Lisa Eastman.
“Employees receive regular training so they can better support end-of-life care and death for our residents,” she added.
