Ivalo care home death: suspected woman died in autumn, prosecutor decided not to press charges
A female resident suspected of causing death was pronounced dead in September, which is why the prosecutor decided not to press charges. The case is linked to a death in January at Männikkö care home in Ivalo.
Prosecutor ends investigation into Ivalo care home death after suspect dies
The prosecutor has decided not to press charges in connection with a death that occurred in January at Männikkö care home in Ivalo, as the female resident suspected in the matter has since died. Regional Prosecutor Maija Aarto informed the YLE public broadcaster of this by email on Monday.
"A decision not to prosecute was made today because the suspect died in September," Aarto stated.
An elderly resident of the care home was found dead at Männikkö care home in early January. Another female resident who was in the room at the time of the incident had been lying in the same bed as the deceased, partially on top of her. Police investigated the case as causing death and did not suspect it involved intentionality or violence. The majority of the care home's residents suffer from dementia.
Staff were not suspected of a crime at any stage, as far as is known. Annukka Marjala, head of elderly services at Lapland Wellbeing Services District, told Ilta-Sanomat in January that the care home had ten per cent higher staffing ratios than required by law.
However, the Licensing and Supervisory Authority conducted an unannounced inspection at Männikkö in the summer and stated in its notice that the staffing ratio did not correspond to the residents' service needs. The authority found that this had resulted in situations that endangered client safety and issued warnings to Lapland Wellbeing Services District and the head of the elderly services responsibility area. Lapland Wellbeing Services District announced it would rectify the shortcomings in record-keeping and self-monitoring.
Source: Ilta-Sanomat