New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has arrested 22 current and former health care employees at two New York nursing homes. The arrests were made after footage from hidden surveillance cameras showed neglect and other actions that endangered dependent residents.
The first case took place at Northwoods Rehabilitation and involved the arrest of 14 individuals regarding incidents at the Extended Care Facility in Troy, N.Y.
“With the consent of family members, we put hidden cameras in nursing homes across the state, watching over the vulnerable who often cannot advocate for themselves,” Cuomo stated. “My office is strongly committed to using all the tools at our disposal to make sure people are getting the medical treatment and the care they deserve.”
Northwoods
The six week investigation revealed that the nursing home staff routinely failed to turn and position an immobile resident, often leaving the resident in the same position for an entire shift.
The staff also failed to administer medications, as well as treat the resident”s bedsores. The footage showed aides charged failing to check patients for incontinence or change undergarments for long periods of time.
In addition, the resident”s medical records show that some defendants falsified medical records to hide their carelessness.
The investigation concluded with six Licensed Practical Nurses and seven Certified Nurse Aides being charged with multiple counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree (class E felony) and Willful Violation of the Public Health Law (unclassified misdemeanor) in complaints filed in Schaghticoke Town Court.
According to the New York Consumer affairs website, the LPNs were charged with multiple counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Physically Disabled Person, a class A misdemeanor. The physician”s assistant was charged with one count each of the above charges. A class E felony carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison and the misdemeanors carry a maximum penalty of one year in jail.
Williamsville
The second investigation took place at Williamsville Suburban Nursing Home in Amherst over a seven-week period. It revealed that the there staff routinely failed to properly transfer patients in and out of bed, putting residents at risk of injury. It is mandatory for the staff to use a mechanical lift with the assistance of two caregivers.
Video footage also revealed that one employee did not provide range of motion therapy and two nurses failed to administer insulin.
To read more about the Williamsville investigation, visit the New York Consumer Affairs website.
By: South Carolina Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Pete Strom
