“Toxic Chemical” Killed 93-Year-Old Woman at Senior Care Facility

93-year-old woman dead after served dishwashing liquid at Hillsdale Atria Senior Living Facility: San Mateo, CA police department – KABC-TV

A ninety-three-year-old woman in San Mateo, California, died after she ingested liquid dishwashing soap.  The woman and two others were served the toxic chemical at the Atria Hillside facility.  All three were hospitalized, and the ninety-three-year-old woman died in the hospital.

The woman has been identified as Gertrude Elizabeth Murison Maxwell.  Her daughter Marcia Cutchin confirmed to KRON that her mother was the resident that died. She leaves behind eight children and twenty grandchildren.

According to the San Mateo Police Department, they arrived at the Atria Hillside facility on August 28 after the three residents had been poisoned and taken to the hospital.  The police have opened an investigation into the death and poisoning of the residents.

Atria Senior Living made a statement to KRON in response to the poisonings, “We can confirm three of our residents were recently transported to the hospital after mistakenly being served dishwashing liquid as drinking juice. We have been working with local authorities, who have informed us that one resident passed away. Our sincerest condolences are with the family. When this occurred, our staff immediately contacted authorities, and the residents were transported to the hospital for evaluation and treatment. We are conducting our own internal investigation, and the employees involved have been suspended until this investigation concludes. We will continue working with the police and Department of Social Services to fully review and assess the incident, after which we will take additional actions as needed. The safety and well-being of our residents remain our top priorities at all times. Out of respect for the people involved, we cannot comment further.”

The police have not provided further details on the other two victims and their current condition.