A family is suing a South Carolina nursing home, alleging that a nonverbal dementia patient, 83-year-old Shelba Catterton, died after being left unsupervised and suffering an attack by fire ants. The lawsuit claims Catterton was left outside the Harmony at West Ashley facility in Charleston, where she encountered fire ant mounds and was bitten and stung more than 1,000 times.
Catterton, who relied entirely on caregivers due to her degenerative illness, was reportedly able to leave the facility unnoticed when a door was propped open. The suit alleges she was "locked out, alone in the dark," and came to rest on ant mounds. Her family claims the bites covered her face, eyes, scalp, back, chest, and limbs. As she was unable to call for help, she lay in the dark, enduring the bites.
According to the lawsuit, Catterton was not found until the following afternoon, July 24, and staff allegedly failed to call 911. Her daughter, Janane Buice, stated in the suit that she insisted on July 25 before emergency services were contacted. Upon arriving at the facility that day, Buice observed her mother's back was covered in bites.
A recording of the 911 call from the facility, included in the suit, features a worker stating, "She was found outside, and I guess a bunch of ants were on her. She has bumps all over back, all over her face, it's pretty bad. They really did eat up on her." The suit highlights that the worker, identified as Jasmine, did not know Catterton's age, estimating it vaguely as "about the 80s, something," and also provided the incorrect address to the 911 operator. The lawsuit asserts this call demonstrates the facility's lack of awareness and care.
Following her discovery, Catterton was transported to Bon Secours Roper St. Francis Hospital. Medical reports cited in the suit indicated physicians documented "unnumerable pustules due to known ant bites" and connected the bites to "life-threatening complications." She was suffering from hypothermia and pneumonia upon arrival at the hospital.
Catterton spent eight days in the hospital receiving constant care, intravenous antibiotics, and steroids. Her condition deteriorated on July 28, and physicians informed the family on July 31 that no further treatment could be offered, leading to hospice care. She passed away on August 7, 15 days after being found outside the facility. Autopsy and toxicology results are pending.
The wrongful death suit filed by her daughter alleges negligence and violations of state laws by Harmony Senior Services, claiming the facility "departed from prevailing and acceptable professional standards of care and treatment" and acted in a "negligent, careless, grossly negligent, reckless, willful, and wanton" manner. The family is seeking unspecified damages.
A spokesperson for Harmony Senior Services stated, "Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Mrs. Catterton’s family and loved ones during this difficult time." They added, "As a family-owned and operated senior living company, we are committed to providing each resident with the same care, compassion, and respect we would extend to our own family." Due to the ongoing litigation, the company declined to comment further on the details of the case.
