Two Nursing Home Workers Charged with Elder Abuse for Mistreating Blind Patient
Nov 12, 2019
Tampa, FL (Law Firm Newswire) November 12, 2019 – Two certified nursing assistants were charged with felony elder abuse for allegedly slapping and mishandling a blind elderly patient at Macclenny Nursing and Rehab Center in Macclenny, Florida.
The nursing assistants were arrested and booked into the Baker County Jail. According to an arrest report from the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, the nursing assistants were accused of abusing an 85-year-old woman while helping her get dressed for breakfast. The nursing home fired them after the incident.
Surveillance video showed the nursing assistants forcefully push the patient onto a bed. The Sheriff’s Office said they pulled her up by a shirt that was draped around her neck and threw her into a wheelchair. When the patient tapped the arm of one of the nurses, the woman slapped the patient and shouted, “Quit hitting!” Investigators said the video footage ended when the second nursing assistant used a cloth to cover the camera in the room.
“Nursing homes have a duty to provide a safe environment and reasonable standard of care to their residents,” commented Robert Joyce, a Tampa personal injury attorney with Joyce & Reyes, who is not involved with the case. “When elder abuse occurs, nursing home staff should be held accountable for their wrongdoing. Abuse, whether physical or mental, can cause further injuries to patients and harm their wellbeing.”
The patient was being treated for a spinal injury at the nursing facility. She was legally blind and had osteoporosis. The arrest report stated the two nursing assistants should have known about her health conditions.
One of the nursing assistants told police she regularly helped the resident get up and get dressed. The second nursing assistant denied the abuse allegations. Both claimed the woman was combative with them. However, Macclenny said there was no evidence of such behavior by the patient.
The nursing home released a statement saying that it launched an internal investigation into the incident and conducted “a quality improvement performance initiative.” The facility has been cited several times in the last four years following Department of Health and Human Services inspections.
Learn more at https://www.joyceandreyespa.com/
Joyce and Reyes Law Firm, P.A.
307 S Hyde Park Ave
Tampa, FL 33606
Call: 813.251.2007
View Larger Map
- What to Do After a Car Accident
Car accidents are potentially life-changing events that can do far more the physically cripple victims. Under many circumstances, car accidents also can bankrupt victims when the medical costs greatly exceed any insurance coverage amounts. The following tips should help to ensure maximum payouts when involved in a car accident. Almost everyone has a cellphone that […] - Uber, Lyft are driving accident fatalities
In large cities, ride-hailing services provide an affordable alternative to taxi cabs, without the hassle of mass public transportation systems. Uber is the king of ride-hailing services, with Lyft a slightly distant second across the nation. Since their sudden rise starting in 2011, a new study suggests they have increased traffic fatalities in large cities […] - Common signs of nursing home abuse
Placing a loved one in a nursing home is often a very difficult decision that a family has to make. Usually, a family makes this decision because ultimately they believe their loved one will have a better life and be well taken care of. However, in some Florida nursing facilities, families learn that not only […] - Accident involving pedestrian ends in fatality
On September 14, 2018, a fatal accident involving a Gibsonton woman occurred on U.S. 301 in Hillsborough County, Florida. The pedestrian accident occurred near Sabal Industrial Boulevard. The Florida Highway Patrol reported that the woman was walking southbound on the side of U.S. 301 when she was struck in the head by the side mirror […] - Serious injuries caused by dump truck accident in Hillsborough County, Florida
On August 22, 2018, three children and one adult were seriously injured when a dump truck hit their vehicle head-on. The crash occurred on US 309 in Hillsborough County, Florida. The Florida Highway Patrol reported that the dump truck driver failed to see stopped traffic in front of him and swerved into the opposite lane […]
