Elder Law

83-year-old Patient Restrained While Employee Took Nap

By Levin & Perconti

A nursing home aide tied an 83-year-old woman to her wheelchair with a bed sheet, took her into a common room, turned out the lights and napped. The victim remained restrained for approximately one hour. The elder neglect incident occurred in May of 2008. The certified nurse?s aide pled guilty to violating public health law involving the abuse, neglect and mistreatment of a person. The 72 year old employee had to surrender his nurse aide?s certificate and is prohibited to work in such a capacity for one year from his sentencing date. A director for a watchdog group that tracks enforcement actions against nursing homes and assisted-living facilities stated that this type of incident is not what you do to a human being. The resident of the home was unable to walk or care for herself without the assistance of others. The nursing home?s video recording system showed that the employee pushed the resident down the hallway while she was restrained in her wheelchair with the bed sheet. The use of bed sheets to restraint residents is highly discouraged due to a risk of suffocating and strangulation. To read more about the nursing home abuse, please click the link.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on August 13, 2009 (boomark / email).