Some of the most vulnerable people in society are our older citizens. When they live in a nursing home, their families trust that the medical professionals employed there will care for them. Unfortunately, there are too many instances where elderly patients are taken advantage of. A recent case here in Michigan involved a nurse who now stands accused of nursing home abuse among other crimes.
The incident in question involved a nurse who allegedly stole morphine from a patient. Authorities would not reveal how they determined that the nurse was taking the drug. The investigation started a couple of months ago and the nurse was recently arrested. There are no details on exactly what that investigation entailed at this time.
The nurse is facing a charge of larceny, in addition to the charge of nursing home abuse. Though the word "abuse" tends to be associated with physical or emotional abuse, this nurse was allegedly stealing a drug used for a resident's treatment. If these claims are true, she was interfering with the care of a patient, which can be considered abusive behavior.
The family of the resident may make the decision to file a personal injury claim against the nurse based on these accusations of nursing home abuse. A successful personal injury claim could result in financial compensation that might be useful in covering unpaid medical bills or future expenses that could result from this incident. Michigan families should not need to fear that their older loved ones are not being properly cared for, but if a similar situation occurs, there are ways to hold those responsible accountable.
Source: mlive.com, "Nurse at North Muskegon nursing home charged with stealing drugs from patient", Heather Lynn Peters, April 29, 2014
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