One Tough Pressure 580 Report post Posted October 3, 2006 SYCAMORE TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- An elderly woman died after drinking a poisonous chemical she thought was juice -- a chemical that never should have been out in the first place. On Aug. 29, a resident at Sunrise Assisted Living in Kenwood ingested a corrosive cleaning product. A report from the attorney general's office said the "cleaner was left unattended in the kitchenette off the main dining room." An employee told News 5 that the woman suffered from dementia and thought she was drinking juice. The employee said the woman became gravely ill. "She had started throwing up blood, and every time she kept talking, she kept throwing up," the employee said. On Sept. 13, the 88-year-old resident died. The state's report said the woman's esophagus and stomach were burned so badly that a feeding tube couldn't be inserted, and she couldn't swallow. As a result, the state cited the assisted living center for failing to keep hazardous materials away from foodstuffs and provide adequate staff to ensure safety of its residents. In a statement, the company that runs the center said, "Sunrise does have policies and procedures that address proper storage of cleaning supplies. Appropriate actions will be taken if we determine these policies were not followed or if their safety and care needs were not met." It’s a story, the employee said, the assisted living center didn't want told. “We’re pretty much trying to keep it hush-hush. They didn't even want us to talk about it inside," the employee said. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
