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Lawsuit against Charleston memory care facility

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2026-08-26 14:47 UTC → 2026-08-29 14:02 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The family of 83-year-old Shelba Catterton has filed a lawsuit against Harmony at West Ashley, a memory care facility in Charleston, South Carolina, following her death. The legal action alleges negligence, wrongful death, and violations of state elder care regulations. According to the complaint, Catterton, who suffered from advanced Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, was able to wander out of the facility on July 23 after an employee allegedly left a door propped open. While unsupervised in a courtyard, she was swarmed by fire ants, sustaining more than 1,000 stings across her face, head, body, and limbs. Due to her medical condition, she was unable to call for help and was not discovered for several hours. Medical records indicate that upon being found, Catterton was treated for the stings, hypothermia, and pneumonia. She passed away on August 7 after eight days of treatment at Bon Secours Roper St. Francis hospital. The lawsuit further alleges that facility staff failed to contact the family or police immediately following the incident. While an official determination regarding the direct link between the insect attacks and her death is pending, the family is seeking accountability for the lack of supervision that allowed her to wander outside.

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