Owner of Adult Care Home Faces Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Charges
The owner of a Williston, FL care home was charged on Thursday, October 3rd, with serious nursing home abuse charges, including failure to provide beds, straining a resident with handcuffs, abusing and neglecting residents, and other crimes.
Priscilla Smith Johnson was charged with false imprisonment, aggravated abuse and exploitation, and the neglect of a disabled adult, according to the Florida attorney general’s office.
Johnson’s nursing home abuse charges are serious and numerous. She reportedly failed to provide beds for several residents, failed to provide medical services for residents’ wounds, restrained one of her residents in handcuffs, abused a disabled adult and caused wounds on her wrists as well as permanent disfigurement, and failed to pay two residents their required monthly personal needs allowance, which is a financial elder abuse charge.
The aggravated abuse charge is a first-degree felony, while all the other charges are third-degree felonies. If convicted, Johnson could face 60 years in prison, and $40,000 in fines.
Although Johnson is currently in the hospital for unreported reasons, she will be moved to Alachua County Jail when she is released. Her bond has been set at $205,000.
The press release from the attorney general’s office stated that the nursing home was small, with about 10 residents.
3 Actions to Take Against Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing home abuse and neglect cases can be difficult to establish because of an widespread tendency by insurance adjusters, physicians, among others, to discount an elderly person’s injuries and the diminished quality of life that results from these damages.
There are many ways in which nursing homes can be held responsible for injuring others as a result of their negligence, abuse,
An act of abuse, neglect or exploitation of roulete an older person might give rise to one or all of the following types of proceedings:
- an investigation and finding by an adult protective services agency or the regulatory agency for nursing homes (in South Carolina it is the Department of Environmental Control);
- a civil cause of action for damages; and/or
- a criminal prosecution.
These three types of proceedings have different objectives: the objective of a protective services investigation is to provide immediate help and relief to the victim and prevent further harm; the civil action is to seek compensation for damages; and the criminal prosecution is when the state seeks to punish the harmful conduct.
Under South Carolina law, physical abuse includes: slapping, hitting, kicking, biting, choking, pinching, burning, drugging a patient or confining a patient to control behavior. SEC. 43-35-10 A person does not have to inflict abuse to be held responsible for the physical abuse. One is culpable by allowing it to take place without doing anything to stop or prevent the abuse.
The Strom Law Defends Victims of Nursing Home Abuse
If your loved one has faced nursing home abuse, you do not have to suffer in silence. Contact the attorneys at the Strom Law Firm for a free, confidential consultation. We are here to help. 803.252.4800.
