Reports say that 17 former employees of a New York nursing home were taken into custody and charged with negligence and falsifying documents. Those involved included nine nursing assistants and eight nurses who were reportedly caught neglecting a bedridden patient on video surveillance.
The complaints say that the nurses routinely failed to perform incontinent care, provide pain medication and check on his condition. The 17 employees involved have been charged with various felony and misdemeanor-level crimes, including endangering the patient’s welfare and falsifying records. The charges were filed individually since the nurses were not cooperating together, according to a special assistant attorney general. He also stated that the actions of the former nursing employees were not the cause of the man’s death, which occurred sometime later.
The patient was a 56-year-old man who suffered from severe Huntington’s disease. Due to his condition, the man was unable to leave his bed and thus heavily relied on the nursing staff to care for his needs. After a tip from an anonymous person suggested that several nurses were neglecting their duties to the man, during June 2013, the attorney general’s office installed a hidden camera in the 56-year-old’s room that exposed 17 nurses who did not provide the adequate care for him. Kaleida Health reportedly cooperated with the investigation and fired the 17 HighPointe on Michigan employees.
Nursing home neglect may negatively impact the well-being of a patient who depends on the caregivers. Whether failing to prevent fall injuries or neglecting the proper standard of care, these actions can lead to severe injuries and even death. An attorney may be able to help by examining the evidence of neglect and bringing a lawsuit against the responsible parties, which could include the employees and the nursing home facility.
Source: WIVB, “Hidden camera leads to charges against 17 workers at nursing home“, Rachel Kingston, April 25, 2014
