Abuse at Minnesota Nursing Home Makes Work "Fun" - UPDATE
You may recall discussing the horrific physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of residents at Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Albert Lea, Minnesota in our previous blogs. Residents targeted for the abuse suffered from Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or similar disease and were targeted because "they don't have their minds". To "make work fun or to get a good laugh", the accused aides would close the curtain by the resident's bed to remain unseen. The abuse rendered by these employees ranged from spitting in a resident's mouth, groping of genitals, hitting and/or touching residents in the breast or genital area, sitting on the lap of a female resident in a wheelchair with bare buttocks, sticking fingers in mouths or noses to keep residents from screaming, and taunting them.
They showed no remorse or fear of being caught. The girls openly discussed the abuse at school and breaks at work and were confident they would not be caught as the "residents did not have their minds".
Now, two of these girls, Brianna Broitzman and Ashton Larson, both 19, are asking a judge to rule statements made to investigators as inadmissible. Both women are asking for hearings so they can question investigators about statements made by the aides. Larson is scheduled to appear in Freeborn County Court on Monday, March 23, 2009 and Broitzman is to appear on Monday, March 30, 2009. They have been charged with fifth-degree assault, disorderly conduct and failing to report suspected maltreatment. The other four aides involved were all charged in juvenile court with not reporting suspected abuse; one has pled guilty.
The Terry Law Firm has successfully handled nursing home cases of sexual abuse to conclusion. Please contact us at 1 (888) 317-2525 or visit us at www.nursinghomejustice.com.
