One of the basic duties of a nursing home is that it cares for people who can no longer care for themselves. While some residents are in nursing homes because they can no longer physically manage their day-to-day routine, many others are in nursing homes due to a wide array of mental health issues and other diseases that affect the brain, such as Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia.
These residents are especially susceptible to all kinds of abuse, since they lack a lucid understanding of the events around them as well as an ability to explain to others what they are feeling. Sadly, this susceptibility to abuse is often taken advantage of by cruel or sadistic nursing home staff who torment the residents.
This kind of psychological abuse is troubling for the obvious reason that it is clearly a violation of the nursing home’s duty to protect and care for the resident. However, it is also alarming because abuse rarely stops at the psychological level. In other words, if an abusive nursing home employee is willing to engage in psychological abuse, there is little stopping them from engaging in physical or sexual abuse as well.
Whistleblower Reports Colleagues Tormenting Dementia Patients
Earlier last month, one nursing home employee in Manchester reported two of her colleagues after she discovered some very disturbing photos. According to one local news report, the photos showed the woman’s colleagues tormenting dementia residents’ comfort dolls right in front of the residents. One picture shows a doll being boiled in a pot. Another shows a doll being strung up by its head. There is also a video showing a caregiver throwing the doll to the ground yelling “die, baby, die!”
Comfort dolls are used by some care facilities to provide Alzheimer’s or dementia patients with a “living” being that they can care for and befriend. Many people who have comfort dolls grow close to them and view them as a real companion. Thus, torturing or tormenting a comfort doll is terrifying for residents who already have a difficult time.
The authorities are currently conducting an investigation into the employees’ conduct, and management has vowed to eliminate the offending employees from its staff. With that said, due to the lack of oversight in nursing homes, it will be all but impossible to stop this kind of conduct until it’s too late.
Has Your Loved One Been Abused in a Maryland Nursing Home?
If you have a loved one in a Maryland nursing home, and you have reason to believe that they may be the victim of abuse, be it physical, psychological, or otherwise, you or your loved one may be entitled to monetary compensation from the offending nurse as well as the home’s management. The skilled attorneys at the Maryland-based law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers have decades of experience bringing cases on behalf of the abused, and we know what it takes to be successful in a court of law. Call 410-654-3600 today to set up a free consultation.
More Blog Posts:
What You Can Do to Help Detect Nursing Home Abuse, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published January 22, 2016.
Nursing Home Abuse Doesn’t Require Physical Contact, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published January 8, 2016.