California Woman With Dementia Dies After Mistakenly Given Dishwashing Liquid Instead Of Juice

When families decide to bring their senior loved ones to a care home, they are expecting them to receive the care and attention that they are needing, especially in a situation where they are not able to provide it to their elderly themselves. The last thing they want is for their loved ones’ health and safety to be put in danger at the care facility that they trust.

A dementia-stricken 93-year-old woman died after the California senior citizens’ home she lived in mistakenly served her and other residents dishwashing liquid instead of juice.

Atria Park San Mateo, which is in the Hillsdale area, confirmed in a statement that three of its residents had been “recently transported to the hospital” after the weekend incident, and one of them was a 93-year-old woman.

The statement said: “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.”

They further added: “We will continue working with the police and Department of Social Services to fully review and assess the incident, after which we will take additional actions as needed. The safety and well-being of our residents remain our top priorities at all times.”

Reports say that the employees involved have already been suspended as the home continues to investigate internally what happened and cooperates with local authorities as well. In a statement to PEOPLE, the home explained, “We have been working with local authorities, who have informed us that one resident passed away. Our sincerest condolences are with the family.”

According to reports, the nonpotable liquid might have been confused with grape juice. The source involved in the investigation told the local NBC affiliate, “There may have been a mistake. A jug of grape juice is what somebody thought they had picked up and poured into glasses, but it was some sort of cleaning fluid.”

The San Mateo Police Department confirmed the tragedy, revealing that authorities were dispatched to the care facility at around 8:10 p.m. local time on Sunday. They “began a comprehensive investigation and learned three home care residents were hospitalized after ingesting toxic chemicals.”

They added that “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.”

Marcia Cutchin, the victim’s daughter, identified to the local television station that the woman who passed was her mother, Gertrude Elizabeth Murison Maxwell. She said that the senior home informed her family that the substance given to her mother was an “alkaline cleaning solution that eats protein.”

Cutchin added that Maxwell suffered from dementia and was not able to feed herself. And when her mother arrived at the hospital, she had “severe blistering of her mouth and throat and esophagus.” She adds, “Many people, like my mother, you have to hold a cup to her mouth and tip it into her mouth.”

According to the SMPD they would continue to provide updates as the investigation proceeds. They are also asking anyone with additional information to contact Sergeant Detective Paul Pak at (650) 522-7660 or [email protected]. Also, anonymous tips can be submitted online or called in to (650) 522-7676.

Gertrude Elizabeth Murison Maxwell is survived by eight children and 20 grandchildren.