Shocking is one word to describe the appalling treatment that William Carl suffered at Rancho Specialty Hospital, a health care and nursing facility in Rancho Cucamonga, California. He was forced to lie in his own waste for hours; his catheter was not changed, becoming plugged; he was hit by a nurse; another nurse taunted him, saying “you are going to die;” and one nurse would put her mouth by the side of the mattress, making fun of Mr. Carl’s missing bottom teeth. Such abominable acts of neglect and physical and emotional abuse not only turn the stomach, but also reveal a level of inhumanity that we hate to admit exists in our society. The federal government was equally alarmed when the House of Representatives released its first comprehensive report assessing the incidence of abuse in nursing homes. The report revealed a multitude of heinous acts, including:
- Numerous instances of physical abuse, such as [a] case where a nursing home attendant walked into a female resident’s room, shouted “I’m tired of your ass,” hit the resident in the face, and broke her nose. In another case, nursing home attendants used cigarettes to bribe a brain-damaged resident to attack another resident, and then watched as the two residents fought each other.
- The failure of many nursing homes to adequately protect residents from other abusive residents. In one case, a resident with a history of over 50 instances of abusive behavior killed another resident when he picked her up and slammed her into a wall.
- Many instances of sexual abuse, including a case where a male nurse aide molested two elderly residents . . . while bathing them, and a case where a male aide was found attacking a resident with senile dementia. [Graphic details omitted.]
- Cases where nursing homes ignored signs of serious abuse. In one instance, state inspectors asked about a female resident who appeared to have been sexually abused. The director of nursing replied, “Maybe she fell on a broomstick.”
- Numerous instances of verbal abuse, including cases where staff told residents, “If you hadn’t sh*t all over yourself, I wouldn’t have to clean your ass” and “I . . . am sorry you were born,” and called residents “a blob,” “stupid,” and “bitch.”
These descriptions are not buried in the report, but rather appear in the first several pages of the document. The prominence and severity of the cases cited establishes the seriousness of nursing home abuse. The elderly residents of nursing homes often cannot protect themselves from abuse or assault, and sometimes they cannot even communicate to others that they have been the victims of abuse. Furthermore, the U.S. General Accountability Office asserts that “homes [can] generally predict when their annual on-site reviews [will] occur and, if inclined, [can] take steps to mask problems otherwise observable during normal operations.” Therefore, it is imperative to watch for signs of elder abuse and neglect when you visit your loved one in a care facility; you may detect a problem hidden from a state inspector.
Seek Experienced, Committed Representation
A nursing home resident or patient should never have to suffer abuse or neglect at the hands of the very people entrusted with their care. If you fear that your loved one is the victim of nursing home abuse, do not hesitate to contact the Law Offices of James R. Gillen for immediate assistance.
