Investigation related to death at nursing home

Here is an interesting article about an investigation at a nursing home involving a resident who died from suffocation.

It was Friday, September 7 when authorities say Stephanie Galletti who lived at the Taylor Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center got tangled in some bed rails and suffocated.   According to a search warrant, it is part of a neglect investigation into Galletti’s death. She was an Alzheimer’s patient with a history of falling out of bed.

Court papers reveal a housekeeper “found Ms. Galletti’s head wedged between her bed rail and her mattress.”   Included in the evidence seized from the nursing home Wednesday were medical records and an air mattress from Galletti’s bed.

According to court papers, the elderly woman died at 7:40 a.m., but her death was not reported to police until 9:48 a.m.   No one can explain the two hour delay.

In the affidavit investigators said, “No explanation was given as to the two hour delay in reporting the incident.”  Authorities are also investigating a bed alarm that is supposed to sound if a patient falls out of bed. Detectives said Galletti’s bed alarm was turned off.

The bed alarm should not have been off according to the physician’s orders.  Clearly, the home did not have the bed alarm on and did not properly supervise the resdient.