Posted on 04/30/2011 7:13:27 AM PDT by raccoonradio
>>Reports of patient abuse are forwarded as a matter of law to the Attorney General for possible prosecution.
Martha aka "Marsha" Coakley is MA AG...oh joy.
HC list ping
a measure of a society is how it treats its most defenseless members.
ITeam: CNAs At Topsfield Nursing Home Accused Of Abusing Patients
TOPSFIELD (CBS) – They’re appalling allegations – elderly patients hurt and verbally abused in a place that’s supposed to provide quality care.
The ITeam has discovered CNAs, certified nursing assistants, at Masconomet Health Care in Topsfield have been accused of videotaping and mocking elderly clients with dementia, texting photos of a partially naked senior from another facility and providing substandard care.
Lauren Noonan says, “I just can’t believe anyone entrusted with care would do that. It appalled me, I was sick to my stomach.”
Lauren Noonan’s stomach turned because her 90-year-old aunt is a Masconomet client. According to state documents obtained by the I-team several residents were sexually harassed and taunted, some until they were reduced to tears. Many of the allegations are so disgusting we can’t print them or put them on television. Four CNA’s were allegedly involved.
One woman was told her family didn’t love her and that’s why she was going to die in this nursing home. A man was teased that he smelled because of a medical condition and a CNA danced around another elderly man and made him hit her in the buttocks while she called him a sexy dog. The Department of Public Health cited Masconoment for several violations. Elizabeth Daake from the Department of Public Health says, “We all want safe care, effective care and appropriate care but it’s also dignity, quality of life making sure they’re in a healthy environment.”
Attorney David Hoey specializes in elder abuse and neglect. He’s troubled by the treatment of residents at Masconomet and says improper care is to blame for a life-threatening leg injury to Lauren Noonan’s aunt. Hoey says the type of fracture is usually caused from neglect. Lauren Noonan who’s a nurse says, “It’s discouraging, being a nurse myself you try to give quality care and that’s what I would expect from other nurses.”
The ITeam showed up at Masconomet searching for answers after repeated phone calls to administrator Scott Gloor weren’t returned. Gloor said he had no comment and told us to get off the property.
CNA Jen Moran was fired during the harassment investigation along with Erin Driscoll and Val Belanger. Families hope exposing what happened will prevent the elderly from being harmed ever again.
Masconomet’s lawyer tells us they’re dedicated to safe, quality care and as soon as they became aware of what was going on they investigated, terminated the nursing assistants involved and eventually suspended the administrator and director of nursing. She also said several steps have been put in place to protect clients. The nursing home was fined about sixty-thousand dollars and the case has been referred to the Attorney General’s Office.
The state says the facility is back in compliance now. The nursing assistants involved are appealing the findings against them.
“A measure of a society is how it treats its most defenseless members”.
Then we are failing and failing miserably. Each day, we read one story after another about babies being found in dumpsters, animals drowned/burned/hung and the elderly being used as “entertainment”. No dignity, no respect for life.
Preying and torturing the helpless elderly...what soulless monsters. The result of decades of liberalism, from schools to media to legislation. They are unable to care about anything but themselves, and have a black hole in their core where God should be.
It seems this was allowed to go on for an extended period of time. There should be significant firings in management as well.
“Preying and torturing the helpless elderly...what soulless monsters.”
The same happened to my grandfather when he spent his final years in a nursing home. I cannot tell you what I would like to do to the women who treated him this way.
Even with all our science and material wealth, care was probably better when such old-age homes were run by nuns and other religious.
When someone’s suffering is viewed solely as an opportunity for a business deal or political arrangement, the degradation of life is unavoidable.
I work at a hospital up here in Placerville in the lab and we routinely go to the care homes to pick up specimens or draw blood. And you would not believe how it is.. I heard a nurse or aid one time say “God I wish she would just die already”, in a frustrated voice. I thought to my self “What a lowlife POS”. I dread going to the care homes because of the sadness..
Those 4 should be arrested and sent to jail for a long time. And if they own anything, it should be taken from them and given to the victims or their families.
You’re welcome, and I do note who he gave to in that link
I am a retired RN ...when I was a new nurse I would often be floated to a “rehab” floor that had many elderly patients.. I can tell you I saw and heard things that made my skin crawl and not from just nurses aides but other nurses ..
The belittling and complaining at them abut how often they needed a bed pan..
Even one lady that was a fresh amputee .. I hated when I had to go there..
wonder what the race of the patient and the CNA’s are..
This is just another result of the 'whitey hates you' narrative promuglated by pop culture over the past 40 years.
These 'care providers' see a chance to hit back and they are.
“I have a grandmother who is ailing and I am terrified at the thought of her going to a nursing home”.
Mom was an R.N. She always told us this: the patients who have visiting families, families who check on their status, ask questions and DEMAND action if something isn’t provided ensured that the patients got better treatment. Not just in nursing homes but hospitals as well. If you have to go the route of a nursing home, visit often, ask questions from staff, ask questions to your loved ones about treatment.
Thank you so much for that reply...it puts my mind to rest a bit. My family has learned (the hard way, sadly) to visit a hospitalized family member DAILY, and we make it a point to do that. I would do the same for my gram if, God forbid, she went to a nursing home. I don’t think I could sleep otherwise.
Excellent advice, and spot on! I was an Activity Director, and saw first hand the difference between how patients, who had a lot of visitors, were treated compared to those who had no one. Also, check out the activities department, and how much time they give to residents. That is a clue to how the owners relate to patients. Activity Departments sell the product, and those who work in that department see what is going on. They are the ones who gain the confidences of the residents. And, ALWAYS ask to read the progress reports in all departments, and compare them to each other, and what you see!
My husband has Alzheimer's/Parkinson's, and as a former long term care employee, I intend to keep him at home until I am incapable of caring for him. There's always those few bad apples who sneak by.
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