An Ohio nursing home is facing intense scrutiny after an 84-year-old woman wandered out of the facility on a freezing December night and later died from hypothermia — a tragedy that has now led to a lawsuit and criminal charges against a nurse.
According to a civil complaint filed in Cuyahoga County, Alvera Meuti disappeared from her room at the Avenue at Warrensville Care and Rehabilitation Center in Cleveland on the night of December 23, 2024. Her family alleges that Meuti was able to exit the building through an unsecured door that closed and locked behind her, leaving her trapped outside in frigid temperatures.
Meuti was found the following morning on a patio near the facility, unresponsive. She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her cause of death was hypothermia.
The lawsuit names both the nursing home and a nurse, Amber Henderson, who is also facing a felony charge of involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors allege Henderson failed to properly monitor Meuti, did not report her disappearance in a timely manner, and was not adequately trained for the role she was assigned.
According to the family’s complaint, Henderson checked Meuti’s room around 9:30 p.m. and found it empty — but allegedly took no action to locate her or alert supervisors or family members.
The filing further claims that an exit door near Meuti’s room was left unlocked and lacked alarms or a keypad, allowing residents to leave unnoticed. That door allegedly locks from the outside, making it impossible for Meuti to reenter once it closed behind her.
A press release from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office states Henderson assumed Meuti had left with family members and continued working her shift. It was not until hours later that she reportedly attempted to call Meuti’s family. When no one answered, Henderson continued working without escalating the situation.
Around 6:30 a.m. the next morning, Henderson informed a supervisor she had not seen Meuti all night, prompting a “Code Purple” missing resident alert. Officers from the Warrensville Heights Police Department responded, and Meuti was found outside around 8 a.m., lying on her back on the patio.
An investigation later determined that Henderson was allegedly not qualified for her position and had not completed required training. Prosecutors say new nurses are supposed to receive four weeks of instruction, including procedures for missing residents, and are required to check on residents every two hours. Investigators also allege Henderson falsified records indicating she had completed required checks.
The family’s lawsuit accuses the facility of chronic understaffing, poor training, and failure to secure exits — conditions they say directly led to Meuti’s death.
“The lack of staff, training, and proper security resulted in Alvera leaving the facility unnoticed, being unable to re-enter, and ultimately freezing to death,” the complaint states.
Henderson has pleaded not guilty. Her attorney told local media she “did nothing wrong” and said the case will be vigorously defended. Her criminal case is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on January 27.
Representatives for the Avenue at Warrensville Care and Rehabilitation Center declined to comment on the lawsuit.