CAYCE, S.C. — The Cayce Police Department is providing additional information regarding its decision to relocate residents from an assisted living facility where a man was found dead on Friday.
The department shared a statement on Saturday detailing what officers found around 9:30 a.m. when they arrived at Twilite Manor in response to an unresponsive man, later identified as 69-year-old Timothy Frank Catalano.
The department reiterated what the coroner's office confirmed regarding another elderly patient being taken to the hospital but also detailed other issues.
According to the police department, the remaining 13 patients at the facility "had not eaten or received any of their medications" since the night before.
"We became aware of several patients who needed specific assistance, as there were patients who were blind, suffered from mental illness, and or were completely unable to care for themselves even in the most basic ways, such as eating or using the bathroom unassisted," the department stated in its release.
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The department went on to say that the facility had no medical staff at the location that could handle a medical emergency.
"And unfortunately, a medical emergency did occur," the department said.
While the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) was notified, it said that inspectors who arrived at the scene "did not observe any conditions or practices that pose an immediate threat to the health, safety, and welfare of residents."
However, the agency did report a follow-up on a Consent Order just days earlier where it said numerous previously-noted issues were corrected.
DHEC had no further details to report when News19 asked for an update on Saturday.
The South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS) has also released a statement saying that residents were medically evaluated at local hospitals on Friday evening.
"Many of the residents were removed from the assisted living facility without needed medications to which DSS professionals have worked to obtain, the statement said. "Some Twilite Manor residents remain in local hospital emergency departments with no current medical needs and are waiting for placement or the all-clear to return to their home at Twilite Manor."
The agency added that some residents have also said they wish to return there.
However, Cayce Police said that officers acted on what they found upon arriving.
"As law enforcement officers, we are legally empowered to take custody of a person who is in imminent danger for their own protection," the department statement said. "As law enforcement officers, we feel strongly that it is our duty to keep all citizens in our city safe."
It went on to say that this was the primary reason the department decided to have residents removed from the facility.
"At this time, we are thankful that all residents from Twilite Manor have been rehoused with members of their family or in an appropriate facility based on their needs and level of care," the agency concluded.
