Mistaken for Candy Due to Capsule-Shaped Detergent
"Laundry Capsule Design Needs Improvement"
A man in his 90s with dementia in the UK died after mistakenly ingesting laundry detergent capsules, thinking they were candy.
According to the UK Mirror and The Sun on the 22nd (local time), Elizabeth van der Drift (93), who had dementia, experienced abdominal pain and difficulty breathing immediately after consuming a laundry capsule in March. She was then transported to the hospital by ambulance but ultimately passed away.
Investigations revealed that the cause of death was due to ingestion of the laundry capsule. She had been suffering from dementia and aspiration pneumonia, and it is known that the packaging of the laundry capsules resembled candy wrappers, leading to the confusion.
Regarding the incident, coroner Ian Porter stated, "There are too many similarities between candy wrappers and capsule-shaped laundry detergents," adding, "Both have bright and eye-catching colors." He further noted, "It has long been known that such products (laundry capsules) can pose a danger to children, but there is a lack of awareness that they also pose risks to people with dementia or other cognitive impairments."
Following this incident, voices in the UK are calling for preventive measures such as improving the design of laundry capsules for people with dementia or cognitive disabilities. In particular, there are opinions that the safety of laundry capsule products should be reexamined and that strict regulations should be established for vulnerable groups experiencing cognitive impairments.
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