Five Pennsylvania Nursing Home Employees Arrested in Abuse Case
Thelma Bryant, 94, did not deserve the abuse she suffered at the hands of a nursing home supervisor and four nursing home employees. Ms. Bryant suffers from Alzheimer's disease. She is wheelchair-bound and unable to care for herself. Reportedly, Ms. Bryant was abused for at least six months until it was reported by another employee in October 2008. There was no explanation for why only Ms. Bryant was singled out for abuse at Kane Regional Center's Glen Hazel 210 bed facility.
Mary Ann Bower was the licensed practical nurse in charge of the second-floor unit at the Glen Hazel facility, which specializes in care for Alzheimer's and dementia patients. She has been charged with harassment for throwing objects at Ms. Bryant and pouring water on her head. Her four nursing assistants, Danielle Taylor, Shelly Keene, Karen Perry, and Shalaya Hatten, are accused of assaulting Ms. Bryant by elbowing her in the chest, punching her in the eye, stomping on her feet, and throwing whole oranges at her face. Their preliminary hearings are scheduled for January 5, 2009.
A worker from another unit witnessed the abuse and reported it to hospital administrators on October 30, 2008. Yet, the abuse continued until at least a day after the abuse report when Shelly Keene allegedly stomped on Ms. Bryant's foot while passing by and then struck her on the forehead when she returned. Another witness heard Ms. Bryant cry out, "Ouch, you're hurting me." The women were suspended without pay pending an investigation and all were eventually fired.
The Glen Hazel facilty received three out of five stars in the nursing home rankings released recently from The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.
The Terry Law Firm is experienced in handling cases of nursing home abuse and neglect. For more information, call us directly at 1 (888) 317-2525 or visit our website at www.nursinghomejustice.com.
