The complaint alleges Shelba Catterton, 83, left through an unsecured door and was later found outside with extensive fire ant bites.
CHARLESTON, S.C. — The family of an 83-year-old woman with advanced Alzheimer’s disease has sued a Charleston memory care facility, alleging she left through an unsecured door, was found outside covered in fire ants and later died after developing serious medical complications.
The wrongful death lawsuit against Harmony at West Ashley centers on the night of July 23 and the care Shelba Catterton received after she was found. Her family alleges the facility failed to properly supervise her and waited about 36 hours before obtaining emergency hospital treatment. Catterton died Aug. 7. The Charleston County coroner had not publicly announced an official cause or manner of death in the latest reports available, and the allegations against the facility have not been adjudicated.
Catterton was nonverbal and had a history of wandering, according to the family’s complaint and local reporting. A Charleston police report cited by WCBD said investigators believe a door was not properly secured after 10 p.m. July 23, allowing Catterton to leave the supervised portion of the facility. She was found around midnight in a courtyard with ants on her body, according to the police report. The lawsuit separately alleges an employee had propped open a door leading to the secured courtyard.
The complaint alleges Catterton suffered upward of 1,000 fire ant bites and stings while she was outside. Her family says her Alzheimer’s disease and inability to speak left her unable to call for help or remove the insects herself. Medical records described in the lawsuit documented extensive skin injuries associated with ant bites. The number of bites and other details about her condition are allegations contained in the civil case rather than findings released by the coroner.
The family also alleges Catterton did not receive emergency hospital treatment until roughly 36 hours after she was found. Her daughter, Jan Buice, told WCBD that she arrived for a regular visit and was horrified by her mother’s condition. According to reporting on a 911 call from the facility, an employee told a dispatcher that Catterton had been found outside with ants on her and had numerous bumps on her back and face. The family says it was only after relatives demanded additional medical attention that emergency services were called.
Medical records cited in the lawsuit say Catterton was hypothermic and had pneumonia when she arrived at the hospital. She required active rewarming and was admitted for intensive treatment, according to the complaint. Local reporting said she spent about eight days in the hospital before doctors advised the family that further treatment was unlikely to improve her condition. She was then moved to hospice care in Summerville, where she died Aug. 7, about two weeks after the courtyard incident.
Catterton’s death is also under scrutiny outside the civil case. The Charleston Police Department opened an investigation, according to local reports. Family attorney Nathan Hughey told The Post and Courier that investigators served search warrants at Harmony at West Ashley and obtained facility records. Police also sought an autopsy, according to that reporting. The Charleston County Coroner’s Office was reviewing the death, and local reports said the South Carolina Department on Aging’s Office of Long Term Care Ombudsman was examining Catterton’s care.
The lawsuit accuses Harmony at West Ashley of negligence, wrongful death and violations of state requirements governing facilities that care for people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. South Carolina Regulation 60-84 defines an Alzheimer’s special care unit or program as a facility or designated area intended to provide specialized care while preventing or limiting residents’ access outside separated areas. The complaint alleges Harmony knew Catterton needed help with daily activities and was at risk of wandering but failed to provide adequate supervision and security.
Harmony Senior Services expressed condolences to Catterton’s family but declined to address the detailed allegations because the case is in litigation. The company said it is committed to providing residents with care, compassion and respect. The facility and its parent company have not been found liable for the claims in the lawsuit, and no criminal charges had been publicly announced in connection with Catterton’s death in the latest reports reviewed.
Catterton was born July 5, 1943, in Homerville, Georgia, according to her obituary. Her family remembered her as a devoted relative who enjoyed crocheting and spending time with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a member of Victory Baptist Church. Funeral services were held Aug. 14 in Charleston.
The civil case is expected to examine Catterton’s supervision, the security of the courtyard and the medical response after she was found. Police and other agencies also continued to review the circumstances surrounding her care and death. The official cause and manner of death had not been publicly released as of Monday, leaving the family’s claim that the ant incident contributed to her death separate from a final coroner’s determination.
Author note: Last updated August 25, 2026.