Nursing Home Residents at US Long-Term Care Facility Reportedly Sexually and Physically Abused Other Patients Residents
Officials are reporting that from 2006 to 2007, a number of nursing home residents at the Tendercare Health Center-Birchwood sexually and physically abused other patients. They also say that the nursing home’s management failed to report the incidents or do anything to stop them from happening. The assaults have resulted in a criminal investigation and fines against the US nursing home, which is now on the US government’s list of the most troubled nursing homes in the country.
Both male and female residents were reportedly victimized and some of the assailants still live at the long-term care facility. One former 68-year-old resident reports that nursing home workers failed to stop the hostile residents from repeatedly harming other patients.
According to the state inspectors’ report, residents regularly felt “anxious, fearful, helpless, humiliated, devaluated” and as if they needed to be on the look out. The patients also reportedly felt as if they weren’t safe and that the long-term care facility was not concerned about their well-being. They reportedly blamed staffers for allowing the abuse.
One incident involved a male resident harassing a 58-year-old resident who was suffering from dementia and Down syndrome. The facility social worker reportedly dealt with the situation by telling the victim to stay away from her harasser. When suspicious bruises were found on the patient's thighs and breast, nursing home workers failed to tell police about her injuries.
Another mail resident reportedly assaulted a woman suffering from multiple sclerosis. Because the woman is immobile, except for her wrists, and cannot speak, she was unable to physically or verbally respond when he approached her in the dining room and put his hand up her shirt.
There are also reports of one man touching women's legs during bingo games and another man exposing his sexual parts to others.
Extendicare Health Services Inc. owns Birchwood. The nursing home has also been cited for inadequate medication records, issues with patient confidentiality, failure to prevent fall accidents, and inadequately caring for bedsores.
Sexual and Physical Assaults
US nursing homes are supposed to make sure that patients do not become the victims of any violent crimes or other abusive incidents. Failure to ensure a resident’s safety from such incidents can be grounds for a nursing home neglect or abuse lawsuit.
Assaults left residents anxious, Record-Eagle, March 31, 2009
Report details abuses at local nursing home, Record-Eagle, March 31, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Tendercare Health Center-Birchwood, USA Today
Contact our Chicago nursing home abuse attorneys in Illinois today.
