Posted on 03/07/2005 12:26:34 PM PST by Born Conservative
Woman, 28, gave laxatives to five nursing home patients to make mess for co-worker at facility
MEDINA - A former nurse who gave laxatives to five elderly nursing home patients to get back at a co-worker was sentenced Friday to 10 months in prison.
Kim Koha, also known as Moenich, 28, had pleaded guilty to five counts of patient abuse.
During the sentencing hearing, Medina County Common Pleas Judge James L. Kimbler told Koha that she can apply for an early release after she serves five months. She surrendered her nursing license when the abuse was discovered.
Koha wept openly as her attorney read excerpts of letters written by her former co-workers to Kimbler. The letters described Koha -- a wife and the mother of a 4-year-old -- as kind, compassionate, loving and thoughtful.
A nursing home resident Koha cared for wrote that Koha was an ``angel'' who brought sunshine into his life after he had lost his desire to live.
``She has done more for me than anyone has ever done,'' he wrote. ``When God struck the mold for nurses, he must have had Kim in mind.''
But on May 30, Koha was more vengeful than compassionate. The former licensed practical nurse gave milk of magnesia to five residents of Wildwood Care Center on Hadcock Road in Brunswick, knowing it would act as a laxative. She told a probation officer that she did it to get back at the day-shift nurse.
County assistant prosecutor Matt Razavi told Kimbler that four of the residents have since died -- although not as a result of the incident. ``They were extremely elderly and suffered from advanced medical conditions,'' he said.
Koha apologized, and told Kimbler that she was ashamed and embarrassed. She asked -- through her attorney -- to be able to serve a sentence that would not take her away from her family.
But Koha's tearful apology and the glowing character references weren't enough to keep Kimbler from putting her behind bars.
``You used the body of someone entrusted to your care to get back at someone else,'' Kimbler said. ``It is, quite frankly, a very mean thing to do and apparently well thought out.''
Kimbler said he was sympathetic to Koha's desire to stay with her family.
``But I did not bring about the circumstances that brought you here,'' Kimbler said. ``You did that.''
What a sh!tty thing to do!
I'm curious as to how they caught her. Either one of her patients was pretty sharp and said something about getting MOM or the nurse bragged about it.
Sounds like "News of the Weird" material....
Koha's first reaction to the sentence:"Oh crap!"
10 months? can you say OVERBOARD?
Makes you wonder wath the day shift nurse did.
wath = what
This witch should have gotten ten years. If you've ever spent any time in a nursing home, then you know how precarious an elderly person's health is from day to day. They can go from fit and hale to life support in a day. Four of the five patients she dosed are already dead.
This is a sick, sick crime.
I'd have to agree with the precariousness of elderly person's health. I have a grandmother in law in a nursing home and would be fit to be tied if she had been one of this woman's victims. Shameful, Shameful reckless behaviour. She deserves every bit of her sentence and more. There's no telling what else she would do to some helpless old person to seek her revenge on another. There is always someone out there who will claim that the monster living next door to them was the best neighbor they ever had and was a help in all situations. Never heard a disruptive peep out of them.
big time "dirty trick".
This was a light sentence. Anyone who would intentionally give inappropriate medicine to someone who is typically unable to walk much, bathe themselves etc. needs to be out of circulation longer than 10 months.
I bet she's really feeling "down in the dumps".
... and here in Connecticut a nursing home aide mixed up the laxative tablets with the Viagra. The poor old geezers didn't know whether they were coming or going! (/rim shot)
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