Twilite Manor resident had chest pain, declined ambulance before he died, police say
A resident at Cayce’s Twilite Manor assisted living facility complained of chest pains leading up to his death but asked staff not to call 911, according to an incident report from Cayce police.
Timothy Frank Catalano, 69, was found dead at Twilite Manor the morning of Feb. 18. An autopsy revealed he had severe pneumonia with abscesses in both lungs.
Catalano had complained of chest pains the day before he died and again the morning of Feb. 18, his roommate told police. The roommate reportedly offered to have a staff member call EMS, but Catalano “persistently refused,” according to the report.
The facility’s sole on-duty staff member, who identified herself as a housekeeper to Cayce police but who the state Department of Health and Environmental Control said was licensed to work in assisted living, checked on Catalano the morning of Feb. 18. He complained of chest pains again. The staff member, whose name is redacted from the incident report, helped Catalano sit up in his bed then continued her work.
Later, another resident notified the staffer “that something was wrong” with Catalano. She found Catalano in bed not breathing and then called 911, according to the incident report.
The staff member also told police she was not allowed to administer medications. She told police she attempted to reach the facility’s owner and managers, but could not reach them.
Facility managers reached by phone Thursday declined to speak with The State.
After responding to the call and finding one staff member overseeing 16 residents, police deemed the environment unsafe and took Twilite Manor’s residents into protective custody Feb. 18.
Later, DHEC determined Twilite Manor had been illegally understaffed Feb. 18 and the facility failed to provide residents medication or breakfast that morning, but that the facility was safe for residents to stay at.
State law requires that one employee be on duty for every eight residents during “peak hours” at assisted living facilities. Two employees should have been at Twilite Manor Feb. 18. The facility did not have a medical professional on duty, which is not required by law for assisted living facilities.
State agencies and a disability rights group rebuked Cayce police’s handling of the situation, which displaced a dozen residents who are now being relocated to “long-term” residences. Several residents were briefly held at Transitions Homeless Center in the interim.
