An Octogenarian Choked to Death Eating Bread at a Nursing Home...Family Told the Lie of "Heart Attack"

Complained of airway obstruction and breathing difficulty... Did not call 119 or police

An elderly patient at a nursing home choked and died while eating bread given by a caregiver. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seohyun] An elderly resident in his 80s at a nursing home in Yangju-si, Gyeonggi Province, died after choking on bread, but it was later revealed that the family was falsely told he died of a heart attack.

According to the Yangju Police Station on the 15th, at around 7:20 p.m. on November 16 last year, a caregiver at nursing home A in Yangju-si gave bread to an elderly resident in his 80s, Mr. B.

Mr. B, who had no teeth, experienced airway obstruction and respiratory distress while eating the bread and died 20 minutes later.

The nursing home stated that emergency measures were taken when Mr. B complained of breathing difficulties, but they did not report the incident to 119 emergency services or the police. It was reported that the 119 safety center was only 2 km away from the nursing home.

Additionally, the family was told that Mr. B had peacefully passed away due to a heart attack. Based on this, the family assumed it was a natural death and held the funeral without an autopsy.

However, the case came to light in January when someone familiar with the internal affairs of the nursing home filed a public interest report with the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC).

The police received the tip from the ACRC and investigated the case, leading to the non-custodial indictment of two individuals, including the caregiver and the facility director, on charges of neglect and violation of supervisory duties under the Elderly Welfare Act. They are also reviewing whether to apply charges of involuntary manslaughter.

The whistleblower said, "It felt so tragic that such a terrible incident was covered up while the elderly died without their families. I felt someone had to speak out, so I reported it."