Massachusetts Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog

Two Nursing Home Nurses were criminally charged with criminal elder abuse after evidence came forward of systematic abuse of an 85 year old Dementia nursing home resident.
The elder abuse took place over a three month period by the two nurses at the Victoria Nursing Home in Rainford.
The abuse consisted of elder verbal abuse, humiliation, taunts and physical abuse of the woman who has since died. The criminal defendants were sentenced to six months and three months respectively. Many states including Massachusetts have strict laws now imposing criminal sanctions upon caregivers who abuse helpless elders in the nursing home setting.

article

$29 million was awarded in a CA jury verdict in a nursing home death of a 79-year-old woman who died from bed sores and delayed treatment. Horizon West Nursing Home was charged at trial with understaffing and cutting expenses to boost corporate profits. For example, the nursing home avoided paying overtime to maintain sufficient nursing staff and cut its staff to the "bare bones". Patient care suffered as a direct result.

The nursing staff only had 1 RN for the care of 40 Alzheimer patients. A certified nursing assistant - CNA at the nursing home testified that she quit because the patients were not getting adequate care. Punitive damages were included in the award.

The jury appeared angry over the Nursing Homes emphasis of bottom line profits over the care of dependant elderly patients. That a death occurred needlessly because of understaffing underscored this feeling that adequate care should never be sacrificed in favor of corporate greed.

Article

Elder Abuse at a New York Nursing Facility has resulted in charges against a nurse staff member who threw a helpless nursing home patient to the ground.

Criminal charges have been brought against the nurse stemming from the March 20, 2010 assault. The victim was wheelchair bound and suffered a broken hip in the assault.

The victim was 85 years old and suffered from dementia. Worse, the attacker apparently waited for several minutes before coming to the aid of the fallen elder. The appearance of another nurse aide on the scene may be the only thing that prompted medical help for the elder abuse victim.

There is no word as to whether a bodily injury or emotional distress claim will be filed for the victim.

Abuse like this often occurs when a nurse is not supervised. A large percentage of these assaults happen to hapless Alzheimer's patients who cannot report the crime.