In a shocking video that was shown to the jury at trial, two nursing home aides appeared to stuff a latex glove into the mouth of a 96-year-old nursing home resident. The resident was sitting in a wheelchair. The undercover video helped change laws in many states. Families can legally hide cameras inside their loved one’s room.
The video is disturbing in a number of ways. But most of all, it reveals the dangers that nursing home residents face each day. It remains so important for family and loved ones of nursing home residents to regularly visit and make it known to staff at the nursing home that they are regularly present. The more often visits are made, the less likely that something this horrific will occur again at an Illinois nursing home or long-term care facility.
In this particular case, a jury at the federal court house in Oklahoma City entered its verdict of $1.2 million for emotional distress and $10,000 in punitive damages. Given the intentional, vindictive and heartless acts of the nurse’s aides, the punitive damage part of the verdict seems light. However, this was a criminal act where the liberty of the two nurse’s aides has been taken.
An advocate for nursing home reform commented that “in my mind, there’s absolutely no question that these aides had abused other residents [in this nursing home] before this.” “This was not the first time that they have ever abused a resident and if it had not been for that camera, they would have continued to abuse other residents.”
One of the two woman depicted in the video has fled the U.S. The other served nearly two years in prison before she was deported. Illinois has become just one of five states that allow the installation of video cameras in the rooms of nursing home residents. The law was enacted and became effective Jan. 1, 2016.
Kreisman Law Offices has been handling nursing home abuse cases for individuals and families who have been injured or killed by the negligence of medical provider or nurse’s aide for more than 40 years, in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas, including Rosemont, Riverside, Arlington Heights, Elk Grove Village, Countryside, Country Club Hills, Lansing, Lynwood, Orland Park, Wheaton, Hinsdale, Elgin, Joliet, Waukegan, Glenview, Northbrook, Aurora, Evanston, Tinley Park, Chicago (Jefferson Park, Lincoln Square, Garfield Park, Wicker Park, Bucktown, Rogers Park, Uptown), Antioch and Lincolnshire, Ill.
Related blog posts:
Illinois Supreme Court Considers Reviewing Nursing Home Case
$1 Million Jury Verdict in Nursing Home Abuse Case for Failure to Assist Resident and Prevent Pressure Sores
Nursing Home Sued by Resident for Improper Administration of Medications