The family of an 83-year-old woman has filed a lawsuit against a South Carolina nursing home after she died following an attack by fire ants. The legal complaint alleges that Shelba Catterton, a resident with advanced dementia, wandered outside the facility and sustained more than 1,000 bites and stings.
The incident occurred at Harmony at West Ashley in Charleston on July 23. According to the lawsuit, Catterton exited the building through a door that had been left open by an employee and was later found in a secure courtyard lying on an ant nest. The Charleston Police Department is also conducting an investigation into the matter, focusing on how the resident was able to leave the facility unsupervised after 10 p.m.
Staff members discovered Catterton covered in insects and called emergency services. A staff member reportedly told a 911 dispatcher that the insects were on Catterton's face and back. Medical records cited in the lawsuit indicate she was treated for hypothermia and pneumonia and was moved to intensive care. Catterton, who was nonverbal and unable to brush the insects away, died on August 7.
The lawsuit, filed by Catterton's family, alleges negligence, wrongful death, and violations of state laws regarding Alzheimer’s care facilities. The plaintiffs claim that facility staff did not report the incident for 36 hours. A spokesperson for Harmony stated the company is committed to resident care but declined to comment on the specific details of the case due to the ongoing litigation.
The scale of the incident involves one resident who sustained upwards of 1,000 stings, a figure the family's attorney, Nate Hughey, described as extreme. For the average resident in a specialized Alzheimer’s unit, the monthly cost of care often exceeds several thousand dollars, a fee paid in exchange for 24-hour supervision and safety. This case examines whether that standard of care was met, potentially impacting the legal liability and insurance premiums for nursing home operators across the state.
The concrete day-to-day change for families and residents will likely be an immediate tightening of security measures, such as alarmed doors and more frequent bed checks, to prevent unsupervised exits. The knock-on effects could include increased scrutiny from state regulators over reporting delays; the lawsuit claims the home waited 36 hours to report the incident, which could lead to administrative penalties or changes in state reporting requirements. A trial date has not been set, and the police investigation remains active as the court reviews the negligence and wrongful death claims.