Recently, some troubling allegations of nursing home abuse have arisen. The allegations center around a nursing home in Tennessee.

It has been alleged that three nursing assistants at the nursing home committed abuse against residents. Allegedly, the three nursing assistants sprayed water at two residents of the nursing home who had dementia in order to see if they could draw reactions from the residents. It has been alleged that the nursing assistants did this for entertainment.

The three nursing assistants have also been accused of having taken pictures of one of the two above-mentioned residents with dementia while the resident wasn't fully clothed. It has been alleged that the nursing assistants showed these pictures to other individuals.

Federal surveyors have accused the nursing home of having failed to stop and report the alleged abuse by the nursing assistants in a timely fashion after it became aware of the alleged abuse.

Reportedly, admissions at the nursing home were recently suspended by the Tennessee Department of Health in response to the above allegations. It has also been reported that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is conducting a criminal investigation regarding these allegations.

According to the Johnson City Press article which reported this story, the three above-mentioned nursing assistants have been fired from their positions at the nursing home.

No nursing home resident should have to face abuse like that alleged in this matter, particularly at the hands of employees of the facility they are staying at. Thus, one hopes that all nursing homes make sure to take proper steps to ensure that their residents are not subjected to abusive behavior by staff members. One also hopes that nursing homes and nursing home staff members are held accountable when they act abusively towards residents.

Source: Johnson City Press, "Criminal investigation underway in Appalachian Christian Village abuse cases," Sue Guinn Legg, Feb. 11, 2012