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Hurricane Irma hitting Florida in 2017. Photo: Chip Somodevilla
manslaughter and neglect of an elderly
adult, while Meggie faces charges of
aggravated manslaughter and tampering
with evidence. Miller’s charges are as
yet unknown.
At the time the news broke of the first
eight deaths, the home said that health
and administrative staff diligently prepared
for the impact of Hurricane Irma but the
centre lost a transformer that powers the
air conditioning unit.
Staff said they repeatedly contacted the
local power company for updates and
reached out to local emergency officials
and first responders.
They also set up mobile cooling units
and fans to bring the temperature down.
The governor of Florida, Rick Scott,
issued a statement urging all assisted
living facilities and nursing homes to
obtain ample resources – including a
generator and the appropriate amount of
fuel – to sustain operations and maintain
comfortable temperatures for at least
96 hours following a power outage. ■
Homicide Irma
Aged care nurses in Florida
arrested over hurricane deaths.
By Dallas Bastian
F
our aged care employees in the
US are facing charges for the deaths
of aged care residents who fell
victim to extreme heat in the aftermath
of a hurricane.
Fourteen residents of Floridian aged
care home Rehabilitation Center at
Hollywood Hills died after the site lost
air conditioning following Hurricane Irma
in 2017.
Months later, 12 of the deaths were
ruled to be homicides.
Hollywood police issued warrants for
the arrest of the centre’s chief executive
Jorge Carballo, charge nurse Sergo
Colin and nurses Althia Meggie and
Tamika Miller.
The chief executive and charge nurse
both face 12 counts of aggravated
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