The patient, a 74-year-old woman, had been under the care of the nursing care facility for six years. Multiple mental disorders, including schizophrenia, psychosis and memory deficiencies, necessitated the care a nursing home is supposed to provide. She was also at risk for wandering and trying to exit the facility.
]]> The nursing care facility was well aware of this woman's medical history and the care that was required in order to maintain her safety. However, she was somehow able to leave the facility in the early morning hours, and wandered away from the building and left the premises.Her absence went undetected for long enough that she was able to attempt to cross a busy highway. Unfortunately, she did not make it across as an unsuspecting driver struck her down when she was in the middle of the roadway.
Her family members, who were stunned in the wake of her death, question whether the nursing home was negligent in their care of this woman. Could they have prevented her from leaving the facility in such a dangerous manner? If so, perhaps other residents are at risk, and their family members should be alerted to these risks.
The woman's family members have decided to take action against the assisted-living facility for their negligence. According to the family's civil claim, the company responsible for the facility failed to properly manage their residents and provide an adequate standard of care. This family had the right to believe the woman, who was known to be a flight risk, would be cared for and comfortable. Unfortunately, their expectation did not meet the reality of this tragic situation.
Source: mycentraljersey.com, "Bridgewater nursing home sued by family of ill woman killed crossing Route 22," Sergio Bichao, May 8, 2012
]]>Recently, a sentence was issued in an abuse case from Mississippi. The case involved a 53-year-old woman who worked as a nurse. The woman was accused of having committed abuse against a vulnerable adult she was providing care to. Specifically, it was alleged that, while the woman had this vulnerable adult in her care, she put a heated flat iron on the individual's skin.
]]> A charge of felony abuse of a vulnerable person was brought against the woman in connection to these allegations. Reportedly, the woman pled guilty to this charge. The judge in this case then gave the woman her sentence. According to the article on the Commercial Dispatch's website which reported this story, the woman was given a 10-year prison sentence. The woman also reportedly was ordered to pay a fine and will have five years of supervision after she serves her prison sentence.Physical abuse by a caregiver like that alleged in this case can be extremely harmful. Thus, one hopes that all individuals who provide care to elderly individuals or vulnerable adults make sure to not commit such abuse towards the persons they are providing care to. One also hopes that caregivers are held accountable when they commit physical abuse against elderly individuals or vulnerable adults.
Source: Commercial Dispatch, "Columbus nurse receives ten-year sentence for abuse," May 8, 2012
]]>Recently, a case involving allegations of the above-mentioned type of wrongdoing has arisen in Montana. The case involves a woman who worked at an assisted living home in Great Falls, Montana.
]]> The woman reportedly began working at the home in December 2011. It has been alleged that, during the time she was working for the home, the woman stole medications that were intended for residents, thus depriving the residents in question of these medications.Authorities have brought criminal charges against the woman in connection to these allegations. Specifically, the woman faces charges of elder abuse and drug possession. The article on KPAX's website which reported this story did not mention what specific sentencing the woman could face if she is convicted of the charges that have been brought against her.
No resident of an elder care facility should have to be subjected to conduct like that alleged in this case. Thus, one hopes that all elder care facility workers make sure to not commit medication-related wrongdoing against residents. One also hopes that all elder care homes do everything they reasonably can to ensure that such wrongdoing does not occur at their facility.
Source: KPAX, "Woman charged with stealing meds from Great Falls nursing home," Erin Schermele, May 8, 2012
]]>In March, the 55-year-old woman was arrested and charged with 14 counts of elder abuse and three counts of embezzlement in connection to these allegations of elder financial abuse. The woman's arrest reportedly came about as the result of an investigation police have been conducting. This investigation reportedly has been going on for two years.
]]> The woman eventually was released on bond.Last week, the woman was arrested again in connection to this elder abuse case and additional charges were brought against her. This second arrest and the bringing of additional charges reportedly occurred because authorities have found additional individuals who allegedly were financially abused by the 55-year-old woman.
One wonders if any further charges will be brought against the woman and what ultimately will happen in this elder financial abuse case.
No elderly individual should have to face abuse like that which has been alleged in this case. Elder financial abuse can cause a great deal of harm to elderly individuals. For example, such abuse can deprive elderly individuals of important financial assets. Thus, one hopes that individuals who commit financial abuse against elderly individuals are held accountable for the harm that they cause.
Source: KSEE, "Second Arrest for Fresno Woman Accused of Elder Abuse, Embezzlement," May 3, 2012
]]>Recently, a sentence was issued in a case from California that involved allegations of financial exploitation of elderly individuals. The case involved a 56-year-old man from La Habra, California.
]]> The man was accused of committing a fraud scam against an elderly couple from Orange County, California. According to authorities, the man got the elderly couple to invest in a company he owned by telling them that the money they invested would be used for business ventures (specifically, the extraction of gold from mines that had been abandoned). Authorities allege that the man did not use the money the couple invested in the way he said he would but rather used it on personal expenditures.According to authorities, the elderly couple lost millions of dollars as a result of this scam.
The man faced multiple fraud charges in connection to these allegations. Late last year, a federal jury found the man guilty of these charges. The man recently was given his sentence in this case. According to the article on the Los Angeles Times' website which reported this story, the man was sentenced to serve 14 years in prison. He also reportedly was ordered to make a restitution payment to the above-mentioned elderly couple.
Source: Los Angeles Times, "O.C. man sentenced for conning elderly couple out of millions," April 30, 2012
]]>Recently, a case involving allegations of elder abuse has arisen in Nebraska. The case involves a man who was hired to provide care for a 71-year-old woman from Nebraska. The man has been accused of having acted abusively towards the woman.
]]> Specifically, it has been alleged that, during the man's time as a caregiver for the woman, he threatened to kill her and engaged in verbal and physical abuse against her.Recently, authorities arrested the man in connection to these elder abuse allegations. According to the article on the Omaha World-Herald's website which reported this story, the man faces felony charges of making terroristic threats and abuse of a vulnerable adult. One wonders what will ultimately happen in this elder abuse case.
Verbal and physical elder abuse like that alleged in the above-mentioned case can be extremely harmful to elderly individuals. Thus, one hopes that caregivers are held accountable when they act abusively towards elderly individuals they are supposed to be providing care for.
Source: Omaha World-Herald, "Caregiver accused of abuse," April 25, 2012
]]>Recently, a case involving allegations of abuse at care homes has arisen in Georgia. The case involves a 37-year-old woman who owned and operated several group homes for mentally disabled adults in Georgia.
]]> The woman has been accused of having committed financial abuse against some of the homes' residents. The allegations regard funds that were paid to the homes by the residents for their care. Authorities allege that the woman used some of these funds in an improper manner.It has also been alleged that the woman failed to provide proper care to the residents of her care homes.
The woman was arrested in connection to these allegations. According to the article on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's website which reported this story, the woman faces charges of exploitation of elderly or disabled adults, abuse of elderly or disabled persons and theft. The article did not mention what type of sentences the woman could be given if she is found guilty of these charges. One wonders what will ultimately happen in this case.
No resident of a care home should have to be subjected to conduct like that alleged in the above-mentioned case. Thus one hopes that all owners and operators of care homes make sure to not commit financial abuse against their residents. One also hopes that all owners and operators of care homes act properly in connection to the care of their residents.
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Operator of homes for mentally disabled granted bond," Andria Simmons, April 20, 2012
]]>Recently, sentences were issued in a case from Mississippi involving allegations of nursing home abuse. The victim of the alleged abuse was a woman who is a resident of a nursing home in Mississippi.
]]> It was alleged that four nursing assistants at the nursing home arranged to have another resident fight the woman. According to authorities, the four nursing assistants did this to punish the woman for having hit a resident that the four of them liked. Reportedly, the woman was pushed and slapped in the fight that the four nursing assistants allegedly arranged.Charges of conspiracy to commit abuse against a vulnerable person were brought against the four nursing assistants in connection to the above allegations. The nursing assistants reportedly pled guilty to these charges. The nursing assistants were recently sentenced in this case. Three of the nursing assistants were given jail time and probation and the other was just given probation. Reportedly, the four nursing assistants have also been banned from holding positions which involve the care of vulnerable persons.
No nursing home resident should have to face abusive conduct by a nursing home worker. Thus, one hopes that all nursing homes do everything they reasonably can to ensure that their residents are not subjected to abuse like that alleged in the above-mentioned case.
Source: WLBT, "Four caregivers sentenced for starting nursing home fight," April 19, 2012
]]>Recently, a case involving allegations of elder physical abuse has arisen in Oklahoma. The case involves a 23-year-old woman and a 28-year-old woman who work for a nursing home in Oklahoma.
]]> It has been alleged that, while she was in the room of a 96-year-old resident, the 23-year-old woman forced gloves into the mouth of the resident and slapped the resident's face. Reportedly, the 28-year-old woman was in the resident's room when the 23-year-old woman allegedly committed these actions. It has been alleged that the 28-year-old woman took no actions to stop the 23-year-old woman.Reportedly, this alleged nursing home abuse was caught on tape by a camera that was in the resident's room. The camera reportedly was placed in the room by the resident's family. The resident's family has said that they put the camera in the room because they thought that thefts were perhaps being committed against the resident.
The 23-year-old woman and the 28-year-old woman have been arrested in connection to the above allegations of nursing home abuse. One wonders what will ultimately happen in this case.
Elder physical abuse like that alleged in this case can cause a great deal of harm to elderly individuals. Thus, one hopes that nursing home workers are held accountable when they commit physical abuse against nursing home residents.
Source: News 9, "Two Nursing Home Caretakers Arrested After Camera Captures Abuse," Michael Konopasek, April 17, 2012
]]>Recently, a case involving allegations of nursing home abuse has arisen in Florida. The case involves a 53-year-old man who worked as a nursing assistant at a nursing home in St. John's County, Florida. The man has been accused of having committed abuse against an 81-year-old woman with dementia who is a resident of the nursing home.
]]> Specifically, it has been alleged that, last Friday, the man held a pillow over the woman's face while he was in the woman's room at the nursing home.Police arrested the man in connection to these allegations. According to the article on the Florida Times-Union's website which reported this story, the man faces a charge of elderly abuse. The article did not mention what types of sentences the man could be given if he is found guilty of this charge.
It has been reported that, after this arrest was made, the nursing home fired the man from his position at the facility.
No nursing home resident should have to be subjected to abuse like that alleged in this case. Thus, one hopes that all nursing home workers make sure to not act abusively towards nursing home residents. One also hopes that all nursing homes do everything they reasonably can to protect their residents from abuse.
Source: Florida Times-Union, "St. Johns County nursing home worker accused of holding pillow over patient's face," Jim Schoettler, April 13, 2012
]]>Recently, a sentence was issued in a neglect case from Nevada. The case involved a 42-year-old woman who was the owner and administrator of an assisted living home in Las Vegas. The woman was accused of having engaged in neglect.
]]> It was alleged that some residents of the home weren't receiving the medications they were supposed to and that the woman told a caregiver at the home to forge medication records to indicate that everything was fine regarding the giving of medications to residents. It also was alleged that a toilet system at the home was faulty and that the woman failed to take proper steps to address this.Charges of neglect of duty in willful disregard of safety were brought against the woman in connection to these allegations. The woman was convicted of these charges. The woman was recently given her sentence in this case. She was sentenced to community service. The woman also was ordered to pay a fine and has been prohibited from being involved with assisted living homes.
Neglect like that alleged in this case can be very harmful to elder care facility residents. Thus, one hopes that all elder care facility owners and operators make sure to not engage in neglect. No resident of an elder care facility should have to be subjected to neglect.
Source: KVVU, "Vegas assisted living owner sentenced for neglect," Matt Guillermo, April 10, 2012
]]>Sadly that is not always the case. A 77-year-old woman died in 2008 after a very short stay in a California nursing home. Two of the nursing home staff was charged with felony elder abuse for contributing to the patient's death.
]]> According to news sources, the 77-year-old woman was admitted to the El Dorado Care Center to recover from pneumonia. She was supposed to have been carefully monitored because her medications left the woman with chronic constipation. Apparently that monitoring did not happen because the woman died from impacted fecal material.When someone's negligence causes personal injury, the injured party has the right to claim compensation for damages, including pain and suffering. If the injured person dies, the family members can pursue wrongful death litigation.
In this case, the woman with Alzheimer's may not have been able to communicate the pain and suffering she was experiencing due to the neglect of her condition.
The two women charged are both nursing home staff. A 58-year-old registered nurse who was the director of the facility has been charged, as well as a 38-year-old woman who was the floor nurse. The 38-year-old has agreed not to practice nursing until the case is resolved.
The family of the elderly patient is claiming that the medical records were altered. The elder abuse case was closed in 2009, but has recently been reopened and criminal charges filed.
Source: North County Times. "2 nursing home workers plead not guilty to abuse," April 10, 2012
Source: Sacramento Bee, "Nurses plead not guilty to elder abuse charges in Placerville case," Marjie Lundstrom, April 10, 2012
]]>The case involved a 74-year-old woman and a 63-year-old woman. The 74-year-old woman was accused of having committed financial abuse against an elderly woman and the 63-year-old woman was accused of having facilitated the financial abuse against this elderly woman.
]]> The 74-year-old woman reportedly held the power of attorney of the elderly victim. It was alleged that, while the 74-year-old woman held this power of attorney, she stole over $100,000 from the elderly victim's accounts. Allegedly, the 63-year-old woman took actions which facilitated the thefts by the 74-year-old woman against the elderly victim.In connection to these allegations, the 74-year-old woman faced charges of exploitation of an adult and the 63-year-old woman faced charges of facilitation of the exploitation of an adult and receiving stolen property. The two women reportedly admitted to the above allegations and pled guilty to these charges. The two women recently were given their sentences in this case. According to the Kentucky.com article which reported this story, the two women received sentences of weekends in jail for the next 12 months. Restitution was also collected from the two women.
Elder financial abuse like that which was alleged and admitted to in this case can be extremely harmful to elderly individuals. No elderly individual should have to be the victim of financial abuse. Thus, one hopes that people are held accountable when they commit financial abuse against elderly individuals.
Source: Kentucky.com, "Hardin County women pay $118,000 in restitution for exploitation," Karla Ward, April 3, 2012
]]>Recently, a sentence was issued in a case from Minnesota involving allegations of elder abuse. The case involved a 37-year-old woman who worked as a caregiver at an assisted living facility in Minnesota. The woman was accused of having committed abuse against a 77-year-old man who was a resident of the facility.
]]> Specifically, it was alleged that the woman grabbed the resident by his genitals after the resident refused to get off of a toilet in the facility. Reportedly, the resident sustained a scratch on his genitals as a result of this alleged conduct by the woman.The woman faced a charge of abuse of a vulnerable adult by a caregiver in connection to these allegations. In January, a jury in Minnesota found the woman guilty of this charge. According to the St. Cloud Times article which reported this story, last week, the judge in this case gave the woman her sentence. The woman was given a jail sentence of 45 days.
Abuse at elder care facilities (like the conduct alleged in the above-mentioned case) can cause elderly individuals to suffer a great deal of harm. Thus, one hopes that elder care facility workers are held accountable when they commit abuse against elder care facility residents. One also hopes that all elder care facilities take all proper steps to ensure that their residents are not subjected to abuse.
Source: St. Cloud Times, "Ex-worker at care facility sentenced for mistreating resident," David Unze, March 30, 2012
]]>A case involving allegations of elder financial abuse has recently arisen in California. The case involves a 50-year-old man. The man has been accused of having engaged in a scam which targeted elderly individuals. Authorities suspect that the man performed this scam in multiple counties in California.
]]> According to authorities, the man would go to the homes of elderly individuals and offer to do construction jobs. Allegedly, the man would ask to be paid up front for these jobs. According to authorities, the amount of money the man would ask for these jobs would sometimes be to the tune of thousands of dollars. Authorities claim that when elderly individuals hired the man to do construction jobs, the man would either do the job in a substandard fashion or not do the job at all.The man was recently arrested in connection to these allegations. According to the Victorville Daily Press article which reported this story, the man faces charges of theft and elder abuse. One wonders what will ultimately happen in this elder financial abuse case.
No elderly individual should have to be subjected to elder financial abuse like that alleged in this case. One hopes that individuals who engage in financial abuse against the elderly are held accountable for the harm that they cause.
Source: Victorville Daily Press, "DA searches for victims of senior scammer," March 27, 2012
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