Selecting a good nursing home or care facility for your loved ones is a difficult and trying process. Trusting an elder or group home to help our loved ones and family members following hospitalizations or for long-term care is a stressful and complicated decision. That choice can be even more nerve-wracking when widespread practices of elder abuse, medication errors, and financial abuse are uncovered. When nursing homes and care facilities fail to meet the basic requirements of care for residents, they must be held accountable. A recent local news article discussed the arrest of a nursing home aide after he allegedly assaulted an elderly patient.
According to the article, police say a Waterford man was arrested for assaulting his elderly patient at a nursing home facility in East Lyme. According to law enforcement officials, the 44-year-old John Blaise turned himself in on Friday at the East Lyme police department for an active arrest warrant. The warrant stemmed from a report that was made last November. The report came from the daughter of an elderly patient at Crescent Point in Niantic. She alleged that her mother had suffered multiple injuries while she was staying at the facility.
According to the police, the woman put a camera in her mother’s room to monitor the situation. She told police she notified Crescent Point staff of the camera. According to the arrest warrant the woman showed video footage of the aide hitting the victim to East Lyme police. Earlier this month the victim died from an unrelated incident when she fell. An autopsy was performed by the office of the chief medical examiner who determined the cause of death was complications of blunt trauma of right and lower extremity with femur fracture. Blaise was charged with second-degree abuse of persons and assault 3 of an elderly victim.
Why Does Nursing Home Abuse Go Largely Unreported?
There is an inherent power balance between residents and staff in nursing homes. Staff members are in charge of feeding, treating, and caring for residents, often making residents fully or largely reliant on staff members. That imbalance can result in a hesitation to report or take action when abuses are occurring. Additionally, many residents may have trouble directly or clearly communicating their experiences. As a result, it often falls to visitors and loved ones to advocate for them when things go wrong. It is extremely important to take a resident seriously if they disclose or report instances of nursing home neglect or abuse.
Do You Need a Maryland Nursing Home Neglect Attorney?
If you or a loved one has suffered abuse or neglect at a nursing home or long-term care facility in Prince George’s, Charles, Baltimore, and Montgomery County, contact the lawyers at Lebowitz & Mzhen today for help. Our attorneys have many years of experience fighting for the injured and will work to provide you with the support, legal knowledge, and confidence to proceed with your claim. The costs stemming from injury or abuse can quickly become overwhelming, and having a team of experienced lawyers on your side can make all the difference. To schedule a free and confidential consultation today, contact us at 800-654-1949.