Mental patient, 80, chokes on food and dies

An elderly patient died at a state mental hospital in Goldsboro last week after he reportedly choked on his food.

Lawrence Russell Jr., 80, died last Tuesday after the incident at Cherry Hospital. According to a state report, Russell "appeared to choke" while eating his lunch. The staff attempted the Heimlich maneuver and other life-saving measures, according to the report, but could not revive him.

He was a patient on the hospital's geriatric ward.

The report says the staff had physically restrained Russell, who was from Beaufort County, the day before his death for three minutes. The report says there were no "complications" when Russell was restrained but provides no further information about the incident.

Russell was an Alzheimer's patient with a history of heart problems, according to the state.

The hospital's report suggests heart disease, not choking, as the possible cause of death, though it is not clear whether an autopsy was performed.

A memorial service for Russell was held Friday in Washington, N.C. His family could not be reached for comment.

Jeff Horton, the director of the state Division of Health Service Regulation, said Monday that he could not comment on whether Russell's death would receive any further review.

Russell is at least the 12th Cherry patient to die since 2003 under such questionable circumstances as homicide, suicide, accidents or medical errors. The hospital's certification to receive Medicare and Medicaid money was revoked in September 2008 after the death of Steven H. Sabock, who choked on his medication, hit his head and was then left sitting in a chair without food, water or medical attention for nearly a day.

The hospital regained its federal accreditation in September but has continued to have problems in recent months with understaffing and incidents of violence involving patients and staff. Two of the hospital's top administrators left their jobs in January.

The two-page report about Russell's death, released Monday, did not disclose how long it took staff to respond after Russell began to choke, whether he had a history of choking or whether the staff had instructions to assist him during meals.