Prosecutors are investigating a tragedy at the Social Welfare Home in Włocławek, where an 84-year-old resident died of hypothermia after leaving the building unnoticed at night, wearing only pyjamas.
The 84-year-old resident of the Social Welfare Home at ul. Nowomiejska in Włocławek left the building in the evening wearing only pyjamas or a nightgown. Temperatures in the region were well below freezing, and the elderly woman suffered from dementia, which may have made it difficult for her to assess the danger.
Investigators look into the circumstances of the death
Preliminary results of the autopsy indicate that the 84-year-old died from cooling of the body, that is hypothermia.
Investigators plan to question the staff of the care home, analyse duty rosters and check whether the applicable procedures were followed. A key issue will be establishing whether any possible failure to perform duties has a causal link to the death of the elderly woman.
How the tragedy could have happened
According to relatives, the night shift was supposed to start its rounds as usual from the ground floor, while Mrs Janina occupied a room on the top floor of the facility. Carers were only supposed to reach her room around 10 p.m., when they noticed that the bed was empty and the resident was gone.
Carers change at 7 p.m. There are two on duty. The first shift fed her and put her to bed at seven in the evening. She was already in her nightgown, in bed — family members told the ddwloclawek.pl portal
After discovering her absence, staff first began searching the grounds of the facility, and only then notified the police about her disappearance.
The officer did find her; she was lying in the bushes outside the building. The doctor pronounced her dead from undetermined causes, because he could not tell whether it was hypothermia or something else — the family reports
Officers ultimately found the woman’s body by the fence/on the grounds of the property, when it was already too late to rescue her.
Authorities’ response and possible consequences
– Proceedings are underway concerning causing death through negligence and exposing someone to a direct risk of loss of life or health. This offence carries a penalty of between three months and five years in prison – said Prosecutor Chechła.
The Mayor of Włocławek has ordered an inspection of the Social Welfare Home, which is to check, among other things, care standards, documentation and compliance with procedures on the day of the tragedy. The results of the inspection may lead to staff changes, penalties for the facility, and tighter requirements for similar homes across the region.
If prosecutors establish gross negligence, the employees responsible for caring for the elderly woman may face criminal charges. Regardless of the court’s decision, the case already serves as a warning to other care homes that the safety of people with dementia must be treated as a priority, not an item that exists only „on paper”.
