A 93-year-old woman with dementia died after mistakenly being served dishwashing liquid instead of juice.
The incident occurred when the woman, who was unable to drink due to her illness, was assisted by the caregiving staff in drinking from a cup containing the dishwashing liquid. The Danish media outlet Pensionist reported on this tragic event.
The woman, who left behind 8 children and 20 grandchildren, was not able to understand the gravity of the situation.
The caregiving staff who assisted her has been suspended while the police investigate how such a tragedy could have occurred.
Marcia Cutchin, the woman's daughter, expressed to the media that her mother needed assistance in bringing the cup to her mouth and tilting it.
An anonymous source told the American media NBC that a mistake must have occurred when the caregiving staff intended to grab a bottle of grape juice or similar. However, the source did not provide any suggestion on how the staff failed to notice the error.
This incident has raised questions about the safety and care procedures in place for vulnerable individuals like the elderly with dementia, and how such a fatal error could have been avoided.
