New details have come to light in the Aug. 24 alleged poisoning out of Atria Walnut Creek, a Bay Area senior care facility. In a civil lawsuit against the parent company, Atria Senior Living, the son of 94-year-old Constantine Canoun included a photo of the chemical bottle from which he says his father drank shortly before being rushed to the hospital.
In the suit filed last month, Canoun’s son said a staff member at Atria Walnut Creek “showed him the bottle of Ecolab 14 Plus Antibacterial All Purpose Cleaner” when he went to the facility to find out why his father was taken to the hospital. The son contends the staff member told him a worker left out the cleaning fluid and his father, a dementia resident, drank some of it causing “distress with burns in his mouth.” Canoun died days later.
The Investigative Unit’s initial reporting on this incident prompted an investigation by the Walnut Creek Police Department. Police say they are still investigating the case and are awaiting Canoun’s autopsy report.
Atria Senior Living denied our team’s request for an interview but sent a statement saying in part “…we await the official cause of death. Our residents will always be our top priority. We devote significant resources to ensure our staff are thoroughly trained and able to meet our residents’ needs at all times.”
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Staff at Atria Walnut Creek reported Canoun’s incident on Aug. 24. Three days later, on Aug. 27, Atria Senior Living admits staff at its San Mateo location, Atria Park of San Mateo, accidentally served caustic industrial cleaning fluid to at least three dementia residents mistaking it for fruit juice. Trudy Maxwell and Peter Schroder Jr., both 93 years old, died after the poisoning.
The California Department of Social Services, which oversees the state’s assisted living facility industry, has not issued violations in either of these cases at this time. A department spokesperson said it’s still investigating.
Canoun’s family, through their lawsuit, say what has happened up until this point indicates systemic staffing, training and transparency issues with Atria Senior Living, one of the largest senior care companies in the nation.
National Investigations
Watch our past reporting:
Woman Dies From Apparent Poisoning at San Mateo Care Facility
