Authorities claimed an 82-year-old lady was pronounced dead in a New York nursing home but discovered to be breathing three hours later at the funeral home where she had been transferred.
The woman died at Water's Edge Rehab and Nursing Center in Port Jefferson, Long Island, at 11:15 a.m. Saturday, according to Suffolk County police.
According to police, the woman, whose identity was not revealed, was carried to the O.B. Davis Funeral Homes in Miller Place at 1:30 p.m. She was discovered breathing at 2:09 p.m., according to authorities.
The woman was sent to the hospital. There was no word on her condition on Monday. The suspected premature death occurred just days after a continuing care facility in Iowa was penalized $10,000 for a similar instance.
A 66-year-old lady was certified dead on Jan. 3 at the Glen Oaks Alzheimer's Special Care Center in Urbandale, where she was receiving hospice care, according to Iowa authorities.
The woman was placed in a body bag and transported to the Ankeny Funeral Home & Crematory, when personnel discovered she was breathing and phoned 911, according to investigators.
According to a report released last week by the Iowa Department of Inspection and Appeals, she was returned to hospice care and died on Jan. 5. According to police, the New York case has been forwarded to the state attorney general's office for inquiry.
"Out of respect for the privacy and confidentiality of the families we are proud to serve, we are not in a position to speak further on this situation," funeral home officials stated in a statement.
The state health department is also looking into it, according to spokesperson Monica Pomeroy, who declined to elaborate.
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