Minn. Nursing Home Charged With Neglect After Patient OD
OWATONNA, Minn. (WCCO) – An Owatonna nursing home is being charged with neglect after a patient was mistakenly given too much of an anti-anxiety medication, died and the facility didn't recognize the overdose until two days later.
The incident happened at the Owatonna Care Center sometime between July and August.
According to the complaint, an employee gave the patient 10 milligrams of an anti-anxiety medication when the doctor's order called for just one milligram of the medication per dose. The resident died the next day, but the error in the medication dosage was not noted until two days later when the medication was brought to the director of nursing to be destructed.
The complaint also notes that the patient didn't receive the proper medication over a period of 10 days, amounting to 26 total doses. The patient was to receive the medication three times per day at one milligram per dose.
The Minnesota Department of Health has not fully determined if the overdose of medication caused the patient's death, but said it could have been a factor. It is also not known if any employees of the care facility were terminated as a result of the case which remains under investigation.
