Family sues nursing home after elderly woman dies suffering nearly 1,000 ant bites
An 83-year-old woman with Alzheimer's has died more than two weeks after being found covered in an estimated 1,000 ant bites at the South Carolina memory care facility where she lived, according to her family's attorney.
Shelba Catterton, a resident at Harmony at West Ashley in Charleston, South Carolina, wandered out of an unlocked door at the facility on the night of July 23, 2026, and was discovered hours later lying in a courtyard, swarmed by fire ants, according to a lawsuit filed by her children.
She passed away on August 7.
Catterton, who was non-verbal and had a documented history of wandering, reportedly could not call for help or brush the insects off herself once she was outside, per the complaint, first reported by WCBD.
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According to the lawsuit, a staff member had 'propped open a door to the facility's secured courtyard', allowing Catterton to walk out unnoticed.
She was 'alone and helpless' when she was eventually found, the complaint states, having been left outside 'in the dark' for an unknown length of time.
A Harmony employee who called 911 that night described the scene to the operator.
"She was found outside, and I guess a bunch of ants were on her," the caller said, according to WCBD.
"She has bumps all over her back and face; it's pretty bad."
The lawsuit alleges the bites, which covered her face, eyes, scalp, back, chest, arms, hands, legs and feet, numbered upward of 1,000.
Emergency room staff reportedly found her hypothermic, and she was later diagnosed with pneumonia and admitted to intensive care, where she needed more than two hours of active rewarming, according to medical records cited in the complaint.
Catterton's daughters, Jan Buice and Sherri Lero, claim Harmony staff did not contact them or police after the incident.
They allegedly only learned what had happened when Buice arrived for a scheduled visit the following day and 'demanded' her mother be taken to hospital, according to the lawsuit, roughly 36 hours after she was found.
"I was horrified," Buice said. "I just can't tell you how horrified I was. Nobody should ever go through something like that."
Buice said her mother lived at Harmony for four years. They spent about $6,300 a month on her room, board and care.
Lero described watching her mother's condition deteriorate in the aftermath.
"Horrendous is what it's been," she said. "To watch your mom go from a walking individual to being in a bed, grasping for air."
The attorney for the family, Nate Hughey, called it 'the worst' case he had encountered in 25 years of handling elder abuse claims in the state.
The lawsuit accuses Harmony of negligence, wrongful death, and violating South Carolina regulations requiring secure units for residents with Alzheimer's and dementia.
Catterton spent her final days in hospice care before she died. Her family says her official cause of death has not yet been confirmed by the Charleston County Coroner.
A spokesperson for Harmony Senior Services told WCBD: "Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Mrs. Catterton's family and loved ones during this difficult time.
"As a family-owned and operated senior living company, we are committed to providing each resident with the same care, compassion, and respect we would extend to our own family."
The company said it could not comment further on the specifics of the case due to ongoing litigation.
UNILAD has approached Harmony, the Charleston County Coroner, and attorney Nate Hughey for additional comment.
Thomas Bamford