Missouri Certified Nurse Assistant Accused of Elder Abuse
Certified Nurse Assistant Dennis Rowe faces a felony charge of second degree elder abuse in Jasper County, Missouri. The abuse is classified as a Class B felony and Rowe faces between five and fifteen years in prison. The alleged incident occurred on April 14, 2007 at Carthage Health and Rehabilitation Center in Carthage, Missouri. The victim, a wheelchair bound elderly man suffering from a brain injury, is unable to care for himself, is "barely able to speak", and requires a continuous oxygen supply.
Rowe was showing another employee how he was able to "control" the resident. He struck the victim in the groin and slapped his face. According to an affidavit "the defendant then took the humidification canister hooked up to the victim's oxygen tube, turned the flow of oxygen 'all the way up' and turned the cannister over, forcing water into the victim's nose, causing him to choke, 'turn purple' and spit out water". Another employee had to stop Rowe from continuing with the abuse. The affidavit further states that the canister contained approximately 12 ounces of water and "according to the victim's doctor, this amount of water introduced into the nasal passages and lungs of the victim in his current physical state is sufficient to cause him serious physical injury, such as choking, drowning or pneumonia".
