Death at California senior home after dishwasher soap served instead of juice

If it was intentional, then what did grandma do to deserve this death?

Dementia patients are notoriously hard to care for. They can be violent, foul, and even smellier than your average raisin.

Was this at Andrew Cuomo's Shady Pinesol?

Nothing would cool me down right now better than a nice tall icy glass of Liquid Cascade Platinum!

They needed to clear the beds for some richer folks. Not sure I have watched something like this in Law & Order, though.

What kind of dishwasher soap is that strongly alkaline?

R4 You've never worked around nursing home workers, have you?

They have no idea which patients are self-pay and which are on insurance, especially in a memory care unit where the family rarely visits or sends furnishings. Many of them don't even speak English. It's the lowest of the low end of America's medical system. And if this place is strictly private pay, then every patient is equally wealthy, and it wouldn't make any sense to bump off one millionairess just for another to take her place.

According to news reports it was another resident (with dementia issues) who served up those drinks.

R5

"Atria told her family the substance was an “alkaline cleaning solution that eats protein,” when they were first informed of the incident."

Though in liquid form this most certainly was industrial/commercial product perhaps used in automatic dishwashers.

Since human skin (like hair, nails, and much else) is made up of proteins it wouldn't be practical nor advised to make a manual washing up liquid that was so toxic.

Dishwashing liquids for manual use are far weaker on pH scale to point of being near neutral. Otherwise it would be back to wash day red hands.

Looks like a nice enough place.

Letting patients with dementia prepare drinks for the others sure solves a lot of problems!

I once went through a drive-through and got a Coke. It tasted really funny and then I saw there was about a half-inch of liquid soap on the bottom of the cup. Maybe they were cleaning the ice machine and forgot to rinse it out? I called them, but it was a Mexican food place and they didn't understand me. Anyway, I'm glad I didn't die.

I think the Ajax Grapefruit is simply delightful for breakfast, but I don't know about taking is with my cholesterol meds.

"You're soaking in it!".

Reminds me of this scene from The Meaning of Life. "The salmon mousse!"

Jfc, what kind of crappy juice are they giving them that taste so bad it can pass for cleaning solution?

One wouldn't have to drink much of that dishwashing liquid to suffer harm. More so if immediate action was not taken. Just a sip or good gulp would be enough.

R6 These girls working in care aren’t cheap labour, they’re PEOPLE!

It can happen to anyone.

While I would never do such an insane murderous act or anything like it (just walk out the door and get in your car before you resort to harm, I always say)—as someone who helps care for an elderly person who’s slowly losing cognition & mobility as well as civility, I do get the temptation and frustration.

Very elderly infirm people can be just like toddlers with antisocial behaviour issues or other special needs. Cleaning up after them and making sure they don’t hurt or soil or upset or confuse themselves is thankless full-time work, and all the elders will do is hate you and mock you for doing it, like a spiteful selfish petty child would.

Carers and nurses who do this work every day, whether professionally or domestically, don’t get near enough compensation or support imo. It’s never fun and there’s rarely good pay or benefits.

Wouldn't a few drops of Visine have been a better idea?

[quote]This has got to be intentional. [bold]What adult mistakes dishwater for juice?[/bold]

I can 100% see how it could happen. Back in February 2021 my sisters, Dad and I were at an out-of-town wedding. Middle sis and I shared a hotel room. Neither of us ate much of the nasty food at the reception; nor had we eaten that day. So by the time we returned to the hotel we were starving. Sis scrounged the mini-kitchen while I dozed. She woke me up and handed me a multi-colored square of something; she said "I found some candy!"

Now, my vision w/o glasses is 20/200. My glasses were off, and I'd just woken up, so I popped the "candy" into my happy mouth and chomped down. IMMEDIATELY I spat it across the room. I said "This shit is SPOILED!"

Put my eyeglasses on and picked up the "candy." It was a Finish Dishwasher packet. Sis has RP and her vision is deteriorating.

Still, we will NEVER let Sis forget it.😆

My Dad (also has RP and is 95% blind) regularly mistakes his hair tonic for mouthwash.

My [late] Aunt Mamie (again with the RP) had made a jelly cake. A couple weeks later her daughter flew in from TX to visit, and was horrified to see the cake was full of mold. She said "Mother, you HAVE to throw that out!" Aunt Mamie was recalcitrant, but Cousin insisted. The entire way to the trash pile Aunt Mamie was pinching off pieces of moldy cake and eating them.

Happens all the time.

Girls, some cranberry juice for your UTI?

As noted upthread Ultra Klene is a powerful ware washing detergent meant for machine use. It does not come in any sort of container remotely resembling fruit juice, nor should have been kept in an area where it could have been confused as such.

Atria at Mateo Park already had several lawsuits either ongoing or settled regarding patient care issues, this is just going to add more fuel to that fire.

Tastes like candy!

Nursing homes hire high schoolers to work in the dietary department. Some dumb ass probably thought was hysterical.

This is not a nursing home, but an adult "senior" living and memory facility.

Regulations are different.