There is no question that elderly or disabled individuals should be treated well by those who care for them. In fact for many people charged with finding a place for a loved one to live, their main focus is making sure that they end up in a place where they will not be abused or neglected. Unfortunately, even when that is a focus while looking for a nursing home, it is possible that once living there, a resident could face behaviors that fall into those categories.
When that happens it is possible that the person responsible for the behavior could face criminal charges. A man from Alabama knows that all too well. He was accused of abusing a non-verbal paraplegic patient who resided at the nursing home where he worked. In addition to being accused of hitting the man around his head, he allegedly also neglected or emotionally abused the man by putting the call button light in a place where it was impossible for the resident to reach it.
The man recently pled guilty to the charges against him in exchange for a plea deal. As a part of that deal despite being sentenced to 10 years in prison, he will only actually spend 18 months behind bars. In addition he will be on supervised probation for four years once he is released.
This is not the only legal action taken as a result of the man’s action. A lawsuit was filed by the mother of the abused resident. That case is still pending. If she is successful, the family will receive financial compensation for the abuse perpetrated against the resident.
