When people think of nursing home residents, they often think of older people -- those who have aged to a point where their mobility has decreased or an illness has made it difficult to care for themselves. There is another type of patient that may make use of a nursing facility -- a person with special needs that may not be of an advanced age. Just like the elderly, these people are often targets of nursing home abuse due to their increased vulnerability and dependence on others for care. Recently, here in Michigan, a group home employee was brought up on various charges relating to allegations that she assaulted a disabled woman. It is yet another sad story that happens too often -- indeed, one time is more than is acceptable.
Another employee, who only worked at the group home for a short time, says she witnessed the abuse of an autistic patient and other residents. She made the decision to film the alleged abusive incidents with her cell phone camera. The employee accused of the attack was eventually arrested and charged with abuse and assault.
The license of the nursing home owner has been taken away. Authorities say this is not the first instance that this has occurred. The victim was living in the group home due to her autism, a condition serious enough that she cannot speak or properly care for herself. The woman's mother turned to the nursing home when she could not properly care for her daughter, due to her own problems with mobility. The victim is now living in another home and recovering.
The family of the woman here in Michigan may choose to move forward with a civil claim against those deemed responsible for the nursing home abuse. A successfully litigated claim could result in monetary relief that could be useful in covering any outstanding medical expenses and related financial damages that arose from this incident. Hopefully, the authorities will do whatever is necessary to ensure that this type of wrongdoing does not occur again.
Source: clickondetroit.com, "Woman charged with beating autistic resident in Detroit group home", , May 18, 2014
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