Chicago Nursing Home Patient Now Charged with Murder of Fellow Resident
Authorities are now charging Ardyce Nauden with first-degree murder. The 62-year-old Chicago nursing home resident was at first charged with aggravated battery of a senior citizen and attempted first-degree murder for allegedly punching a fellow resident on August 21. However, the victim, 72-year-old Andres Cardona, died on September 18. The two men resided at Columbus Park Nursing Center, an assisted living facility on the West Side. Cardona was in his wheelchair when the Chicago, Illinois nursing home assault incident happened.
Nauden, who authorities call a psychotic felon and has a history of aggressive behavior and drug convictions, is accused of using a closed fist to hit Cardona. He thought the other resident was stealing his food. Cardona was knocked unconscious. Earlier this month, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the 72-year-old’s death a homicide.
An investigation by Illinois health officials determined that although nursing home workers at Columbus Park documented Nauden’s aggressive and violent actions, they neglected to protect the other residents from him.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the Illinois Department of Public Health reports that two other alleged assaults, in addition to the Cardona assault, occurred at Columbus Park over a 90-day period. This figure is very different from the 11 alleged beatings that Chicago police say took place at the Chicago nursing home over the same time period.
Nursing Home Negligence
It is appalling that there are elderly and sick nursing home residents who have been assaulted, raped, or killed while staying at Chicago nursing homes because they were not protected from other patients who are mentally ill and/or who have violent tendencies. Moving into a nursing home should make a patient’s life better, not place them in harm’s way.
1st-degree murder charges in nursing home death, Chicago Breaking News, December 15, 2009
Cops: nursing home resident charged with murder, Sun Times, December 15, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Illinois Department of Public Health
Learn how to request police records on potential crime at nursing homes, Chicago Tribune
Our Chicago, Illinois nursing home law firm represents patients who have been injured or died in nursing homes because they were the victims of nursing home violence, nursing home neglect, or nursing home abuse.
