Cause of Death 'Sepsis from Urinary Tract Infection'
Bereaved Family Claims "Death Due to Poor Nursing Home Management"
Nursing Home Says "Cause Link Is Unreasonable"
An accident occurred in Cheongju where a dementia patient in their 70s died from sepsis caused by a urinary tract infection just two weeks after being admitted to a nursing home for the elderly. The bereaved family filed a complaint with the police, alleging that the nursing home neglected and abused the patient by, among other things, failing to change soiled diapers. The nursing home denies any negligence.
On the 31st, Yonhap News reported that Mr. A, a dementia patient in his 70s who was admitted to a nursing home in Cheongju on August 3rd last year, contracted a urinary tract infection two weeks later and was taken to the emergency room, eventually passing away after about two months. According to the death certificate, the cause of death was sepsis resulting from a urinary tract infection.
The bereaved family claimed that when Mr. A was taken to the emergency room, he was wearing three diapers layered on top of each other, and the innermost diaper was already soiled with feces and urine. When family member Mr. B protested to the nursing home about the diaper management, the staff member in charge at the time admitted the mistake and apologized. However, this staff member was suddenly dismissed, and the nursing home has since denied responsibility.
The nursing home representative, Mr. C, told Yonhap News, "Male dementia patients often urinate frequently, so they sometimes wear up to three diapers." He added, "Urinary tract infections are common among them, and linking it directly to death is an overreach." He further claimed, "Mr. A was elderly and had underlying conditions such as diabetes, so he passed away due to complications."
The bereaved family countered, saying, "Using multiple layers of diapers designed to handle normal amounts of urine and feces was because changing diapers was considered bothersome," and "Our father contracted a urinary tract infection because he was wearing soiled diapers."
Physical Restraint in Wheelchair Without Guardian Consent... CCTV Footage Deleted and Medication Omission Also Revealed
The bereaved family also revealed that the nursing home abused Mr. A, who had no mobility issues, by placing him in a wheelchair and physically restraining him.
Following a report of suspected abuse by the family, the Chungbuk Province Elderly Protection Agency conducted an investigation and found that the nursing home restrained Mr. A in a wheelchair using physical restraints without obtaining guardian consent. Additional investigations by Cheongju City uncovered evidence that the nursing home deleted internal CCTV footage.
Furthermore, medication records obtained by the family confirmed that Mr. A’s diabetes and blood pressure medications, which he was supposed to take daily, were omitted for a week.
Mr. B stated that the nursing home refused family visits, citing his father’s adjustment period, and said, "He was someone who could barely express himself or answer phone calls, but he was very active. Just imagining what kind of life he had being tied to a wheelchair is heartbreaking."
He added, "I also believe that not taking his diabetes and blood pressure medications for a week is related to the cause of death," and "With his immunity weakened like that and wearing soiled diapers, it seems he developed sepsis."
In response, nursing home representative Mr. C admitted, "It is true that we used restraints on Mr. A in the wheelchair without guardian consent, but it was only during meal times due to the risk of falls." He also explained, "The absence of CCTV footage is due to frequent power outages in the building caused by electrical issues."
The bereaved family filed a complaint against nursing home representative Mr. C on the 18th for violating the Elderly Welfare Act.
A police official stated, "We will summon Mr. C for questioning soon, and if necessary, conduct a forced investigation to secure evidence," adding, "We also plan to consult medical experts to clarify the causal relationship between the nursing home’s mismanagement and the death."
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