Chicago Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers: Certified Nursing Assistant is Fired for Taking Cell Phone Photos of Unclothed Residents
The Pigeon Forge Care and Rehabilitation Center has dismissed a certified nursing assistant after pictures of nursing home residents that were unclothed were found on the worker’s cell phone. The nursing home, which is facing a state penalty for the unauthorized cell phone images, is now banning all of its nursing home employees from using cell phones in areas where there are residents.
The pictures of the unclothed residents were discovered after the nursing home worker left the phone in a restaurant. A restaurant employee looked through the phone identify its owner and saw the pictures.
The phone was returned to the nursing home staffers, who contacted the state about the images. The long-term care facility fired the nursing home assistant that owns the phone. The nursing home also fired another certified nursing assistant that was in some of the pictures. Two other nursing home workers that were linked to the cell phone photos had already left the employ of the facility.
When investigators questioned the nursing home assistant about the pictures, the worker called the patients his “babies” and claimed the pictures were for “my memories.”
The images of the 12 residents include 27 videos and 47 pictures that were taken between July 2007 and March 2009. Photos show the various residents in different states of undress. Video footage shows residents engaging in different acts, including some residents trying to feed themselves. One video shows a patient eating without dentures. Another video shows nursing home workers shaking a resident in attempt to get the patient to make a specific noise.
According to the state, the nursing home failed to protect its residents from nursing home abuse and allowed the patients’ privacy, dignity, and safety to be compromised.
Taking photographs of a nursing home resident without his or her consent is a violation of the patient’s privacy. It is also a form of nursing home abuse. People that stay in nursing homes are usually sick, mentally ill, or frail enough that they require full-time special medical and nursing care. Many of them are too weak or sick or vulnerable to be able to protect themselves from nursing home abuse or neglect.
Worker took images of several unclothed residents at nursing home, Knoxnews.com, June 6, 2009
Nursing home ordered to not admit new patients, Miami Herald, May 28, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Sex and intimacy in the nursing home: among many issues, resident privacy is key, The Free Library
Elder Abuse, HelpGuide.org
Contact our Chicago nursing home abuse law firm today and ask for your free case evaluation with Attorney Steve Malman.
