California’s Atria Senior Living community is opening an internal investigation after two elderly people living in different facilities died within days of each other this week.
Trudy Marshall, 93, and Constantine Canoun, 94, were reported to have died from ingested substances on Aug. 28 and Thursday, respectively, police confirmed to the NBC Bay Area Investigative Team. Marshall lived at Atria of San Mateo, and Canoun lived in Atria’s Walnut Creek facility.
Atria Senior Living facility officials confirmed in a statement to the Washington Examiner that two people had died at their facilities but did not name them. They confirmed that a resident at the San Mateo facility died after a “staff member filled a pitcher with dishwashing liquid with the intention of dispensing the liquid into the dishwashing machine.”
“Another staff member picked it up mistaking it for juice and served it to three residents,” Atria Senior Living wrote. “One resident has since passed away, and our sincerest condolences are with the family. Out of respect for their privacy, we cannot share details on the two other residents.”
A few days after the San Mateo incident, Atria were notified that a resident at Atria Walnut Creek had died due to unknown causes.
“The resident appeared to have a negative reaction on August 23,” they wrote. “…While it is uncertain what caused this reaction, at this time we believe it was likely food related. We were initially notified that the resident was doing well, but we learned on August 31 sadly we learned that he passed away.”
The living facility wrote that the staff involved in the Walnut Creek incident have been suspended pending the internal investigation.
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The facilities are no stranger to inspections or complaints, according to California’s Department of Social Services records. The San Mateo location has received 21 visits from the department, 12 of them being complaint-related. Similarly, the Walnut Creek location received 19 visits, with seven involving complaints.
Of the seven complaints investigated by Walnut Creek, two were staff-related. One in December 2020 accused staff of failing to seek medical attention in a timely matter for a resident injured in their care. In August 2019, staff were accused of failing to respond to a resident’s call button, leaving them stranded on the toilet for hours.
At Atria San Mateo, seven of the 12 complaints were related to the incompetence of staff. A complaint in March 2021 stated staff members were not meeting a resident’s medical needs and failed to transport them to appointments. In July 2019, a complaint was filed, stating a resident sustained multiple injuries in the care of staff who failed to provide a safe environment. In May 2018, staff were accused of failing to provide adequate meal services.
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No complaint has been filed at either Atria Senior Living facility in relation to the deadly substance ingestions. The Walnut Creek facility said it would decline to open a criminal investigation.
Facility officials said they are continuing to work with San Mateo area police and the Department of Social Services.
