South Carolina nursing home sued after fire ant attack
By The BriefBrief
The family of 83-year-old Alzheimer’s patient Shelba Catterton sued Harmony at West Ashley in Charleston, alleging she wandered out of an unlocked nursing home door after 10 p.m. on July 23 and was swarmed by fire ants. The complaint says she suffered over 1,000 bites and stings and was found hours later in a secure courtyard covered in insects.
WHO:Shelba Catterton’s family; Harmony at West Ashley
WHAT:Lawsuit filed alleging a nursing home patient died after being attacked by fire ants following an unsupervised exit through an unlocked door.
WHEN:Jul 23, 2026
WHERE:Harmony at West Ashley, Charleston, South Carolina
WHY:The lawsuit alleges the patient wandered outside unsupervised after an employee left a nursing home door unlocked.
