Nursing Home Worker Pleads Guilty to Abuse
A former nursing home worker in Lufkin, TX was recently sentenced to 20 months in jail after pleading guilty to abuse of a 77-year-old nursing home patient. The victim’s husband had noticed signs of abuse, but due to his wife’s mental state, it was difficult to prove that abuse was taking place. The husband then planted a hidden camera in his wife’s room and recorded two instances of the worker abusing his wife by grabbing her arm and twisting it violently and striking her repeatedly on the arm.
This case illustrates several problems that nursing home residents and their families must deal with. Since many nursing home residents suffer from Alzheimer’s, dementia, and similar disorders, they may not be able to report abuse themselves, so family members must be vigilant in looking for signs of abuse. In addition, since this abuse happened repeatedly, after the husband had noticed it, the administrators of the nursing home may be found liable for the abuse, as they allowed it to happen on multiple occasions despite there being signs that abuse was taking place. If you believe your loved one is being abused in a nursing home, you should contact a nursing home abuse attorney to discuss your case and decide on the best course of action.
