An Iowa care facility is facing thousands of dollars in fines after a woman was mistakenly pronounced dead and taken to a funeral home only to wake up “gasping for air,” authorities said.
The 66-year-old woman had been at the Glen Oaks Alzheimer’s Special Care Center since December 2021 before moving to hospice, according to a report released Wednesday by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals. The facility faces state violations that could result in fines of up to $10,000.
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A woman “out of breath” at an Iowa funeral home after being mistakenly pronounced dead, authorities said.
Over time, staff members noticed that his health worsened. On January 3, she was pronounced dead when staff noted that she “had her mouth open, her eyes fixed and there were no breath sounds,” according to the report.
A funeral home was called and the woman’s family was alerted. At 7:38 pm, a funeral director arrived and a licensed nurse practitioner placed the woman’s body inside a body bag and zipped it up. Both said there were no signs of life, according to the report.
At around 8:26 p.m. at the funeral home, a staff member unzipped the bag and saw the woman’s chest move and “she was gasping for air.” The funeral home called 911 and the hospice center. When rescuers arrived, they were able to record the pulse and respiration.
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She was returned to the care facility and died on January 5 with her family by her side.
