Elder Law

Nursing Home Horror Story Shocks the Conscience

By Levin & Perconti

CBS news is reporting the horrific tale of a nursing home abuse story caught on camera. This story involved a nurse, who was supposed to be carrying for a patient, dump the elderly woman out of her wheelchair and onto the floor. This has led the state?s attorney general to file criminal charges against the nurse. This was an easy indictment considering the fact the entire video was recorded by a camera implemented to protect the patients. The video shows the employee pushing a medication cart. The employee then suddenly abandons the car and heads towards the elderly patient in the wheelchair. The employee then jerks the chair sharply to the left and the 85-year-old woman who suffers from dementia, goes flying to the ground. It is during this fall that she breaks her hip. The worst part of the story occurs next. While the elderly patient is flailing on the ground with a broken hip, the employee simply walks right by the patient. After walking by twice and not offering any assistance, the employee leaves the area. To check out this story of the nursing home abuse, please click the link.

An expert in nursing home care was absolutely startled by the speed in which the employee grabbed and spun the chair. He also stated that these actions were clearly those of nursing home negligence. The elderly patient was not only in a great deal of pain but also quiet frightened. She lay on the floor for more than two minutes before another employee arrives on the scene. Even when another employee did come, he does nothing while the patient writhes on the floor for another minute. There was an extreme lack of urgency in the employee?s action. All nursing home employees should be screened so that this type of elderly abuse does not occur. These egregious actions from both employees are proof that a stricter screening method is required for those whom we entrust with the lives of our elderly loved ones.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on May 30, 2010 (boomark / email).