Iowa Nursing Homes Fire Whistleblowers and Reward Those Who Cover Up Abuse
Lora Washburn
Lora Washburn, a former activity coordinator at Montrose Health Center in Montrose, Iowa, saw a co-worker verbally abusing an elderly resident. The aide was refusing to allow the resident to use a wheelchair and "was telling her she was pathetic, that it was ridiculous, that she could walk, that she shouldn't ask for a wheelchair". The resident was crying and the aide further told her "There are people here in this facility that are crippled and they need wheelchairs and you're going to walk and you're going to get to the dining room right now or you're not going to eat dinner". Lora did what she is required by Iowa's mandatory-reporter law - she reported the abuse to the facility administrator, David Payne. Reportedly, Administator Payne did nothing. When a state inspector visited the home to investigate Ms. Washburn's allegations, the investigator spoke to nurse Tammy Hopp, who admits that she did not tell the inspector everything and downplayed the event to protect the facility.
Ms. Washburn was fired a few days after making the report. Her boss accused her of trying to intimidate a co-worker into giving state inspectors information about the alleged abuse. The co-worker who actually admitted that she downplayed her report to the state to protect the nursing home was rewarded. Her reward? She was promoted.
Ms. Washburn filed for unemployment and her unemployment benefits hearing led to the reopening of the abuse investigation.
In another Iowa incident, Janice Rardin was the Director of Nursing at The Evangelical Free Church Home in Boone, Iowa. She was terminated from her job after she filed two complaints of suspected abuse. The alleged abuser? The Administrator of the facility, Ron Honson.
Allegedly, a few weeks after Ms. Rardin filed the second complaint, she overheard Honson telling the facility's attorney that he wanted to fire Ms. Rardin for reporting him. The attorney allegedly told Honson to wait until later so her termination did not appear as retaliation. Three months later, Ms. Rardin was terminated for eavesdropping on the conversation.
So what is the lesson? Report abuse and get fired. Cover up abuse and get promoted.
The biggest reason people don't report suspected abuse is fear of retaliation. By complying with Iowa's mandatory-reporter law, caregivers face possible termination. By simply violating the seldom enforced mandatory-reporter law, caregivers only face a $65 fine and potential licensing sanctions if the case is prosecuted. In fact, in the past ten years, no Iowa caregivers have been convicted of violating the mandatory-reporter law, even though dozens of abuse cases have been catalogued. In 2003, state inspectors found that employees at Bethany Lutheran Home in Council Bluffs, Iowa were barricading residents in their rooms at night. One resident had been tied to a urine-soaked bed with a rolled up bed sheet. In 2004, Harmony House in Waterloo, Iowa was fined by the state for failing to report sexual abuse of a male resident by an employee. Several suspicious incidents were reported to supervisors, who failed to report the incidents. The aide admitted to having sex with the resident. In 2005, a Friendship Manor Care Center employee in Grinnell, Iowa was convicted of sexually abusing residents of the home. One employee said she had seen the employee sexually touch residents "repeatedly, almost every day I worked with her".
The Terry Law Firm is experienced in handling cases of nursing home abuse and neglect. Please contact us at 1 (314) 317-2525 or visit us at www.nursinghomejustice.com.
