Nursing Home Abuse: Video Shows Patient Being Dumped from Wheelchair onto the Ground
Licensed practical nurse Jessie Joyner is charge with abuse, neglect, mistreating a nursing home resident, and stealing medication from another patient. Surveillance footage shows the 56-year-old nurse sharply jerking a wheelchair, as the 85-year-old patient seated on it falls to the ground. Joiner is then seen walking by the patient, who is on the ground flailing, twice, before leaving the area.
More than two minutes later, another employee arrives on the scene and does nothing for over a minute before he begins speaking to the elderly woman. Joiner comes back to the accident site and help is finally called. However, this help wasn’t administered until over four minutes after the fall accident.
The elderly resident, who has dementia, broke her hip during the fall accident. However, it wasn’t until the nursing home administration reviewed the footage that the true cause of the hip fracture was discovered.
Meantime, Joiner has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges. Her defense lawyer says that the patient fell on her own and that the nurse had tried to help her. However, the attorney general’s complaint contends that Joiner has said that she knocked the elderly resident from the wheelchair and did not help her. She is also accused of not reporting the fall accident until another staffer noticed the woman on the ground, and also of lying about the incident.
In an unrelated incident, which also took place that night, Joiner has admitted to taking more than 20 Percocet pills that were supposed to be for another patient. She said she took the medication for her own use and got rid of paperwork to conceal her actions.
Subjecting an assisted living resident to cruelty and neglect is nursing home abuse and a violation of the patient's rights. Even if criminal charges aren't pursued, you may still be able to sue for Chicago nursing home neglect and abuse.
SHOCK VIDEO: NYC Nursing Home Horror, WCBSTV, May 27, 2010
Nurse charged with abusing patient, stealing drugs, ABC Local, April 22, 2010
Related Web Resources:
National Center on Elder Abuse
Nursing Homes Resident Rights, Medicare.gov
Contact our Chicago nursing home abuse law firm and ask for your free case evaluation.
