Three Minnesota Nurse Aides Terminated After Abuse Discovery
Three nurse's aides at Edgewood Vista Virginia, an assisted living facility located in Virginia, Minnesota, were terminated after abuse evidence was uncovered.
State investigators made an unannounced visit to Edgewood in April 2009 and found evidence that four residents had been verbally, physically, or emotionally abused. In one instance, the three employees targeted a woman suffering from Alzheimer's disease and pinched her on the side of her breast, slapped her buttocks, and bounced a rubber ball off her buttocks. According to the investigative report, the resident "got meaner and more depressed" and refused to come out of her room. Allegedly, two employees also hit the resident with plastic foam "noodles" and put their cold hands on her neck to startle her after they came inside from the cold.
In another instance of abuse, the employees slapped a male resident in the mouth and told another resident to "shut up". A female resident was told she was "crazy" and aggravated until she yelled to be left alone.
The employees are not named in the report. One employee was unable to be contacted either by telephone or subpoena. The second employee denied the allegations and denied seeing the incidents. This employee did admit to taking a photograph of one of the residents and posting it on the internet. The photograph was removed after she was told that it was not allowed. The third employee told investigators about some of the abuse but did not report it. She went through a thirty day evaluation for using bad judgment. The three employees have since been terminated from the facility's employ. The investigative findings will appear on their background checks and they will be disqualified from working similar jobs.
The Terry Law Firm is experienced in handling cases of nursing home abuse and neglect. Please contact us with any questions or concerns at (888) 317-2525 or visit us on our website at www.nursinghomejustice.com.
