In a scene that could easily be mistaken for the plot of a dark comedy, Constance Glantz, a 74-year-old resident of The Mulberry at Waverly nursing home in Waverly, Nebraska, stunned everyone when she was found alive at the Butherus-Maser & Love Funeral Home in Lincoln. Her reawakening at her own funeral would be entertaining if not for the serious questions it raises about her initial declaration of death.

Glantz had been officially pronounced dead by nursing home staff at precisely 9:44 a.m. local time. This, however, turned out to be a grossly exaggerated report of her demise. It was only when an employee at the funeral home noticed Glantz was still breathing that the 911 call was made. In what can only be described as an emergency on par with finding your missing wallet in your other pocket, Lincoln Fire and Rescue responded at 11:43 a.m., promptly transporting Glantz to the hospital.

For Glantz, who was already in hospice care, this turn of events added an unexpected chapter to her end-of-life journey. Despite what many would call a recovery that could make Lazarus envious, she was still alive as of Monday afternoon, though the reprieve was sadly short-lived. She passed away at the hospital around 4 p.m. that same day.

The Lancaster County Sheriff's Office has launched an investigation into this morbid mix-up, but criminal intent isn't suspected. As you can imagine, this has caused a sizable update in some nursing home employees' résumés, as they scramble to redefine ‘attention to detail.’ Meanwhile, Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon has ordered an autopsy, to be performed at a facility that presumably double-checks its vital signs.

To say The Mulberry at Waverly’s reputation is under a dark cloud would be an understatement. This incident marks at least the third time since last year that a woman was prematurely declared dead at a U.S. nursing home—a trend that's more suited to a ghost story than medical oversight.

In addition, the funeral home in Lincoln, known for its decorative foliage and tactful staff, finds itself in an uncomfortable position. The establishment is cooperating with the investigation, presumably happy to have their main surprise-discovery scenario revolve around valuable heirlooms and not breathing clients.

Given the circumstances, one could argue for some leniency in considering these mistakes as simple human error—after all, nobody’s perfect. But with lives quite literally on the line, a more rigorous process for confirming death seems warranted, unless we want more folks confusing horror movies with reality.