Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog

Brian Dillman

Bryan Dillman is 6'1" and weighs in at 225 pounds. He was recently arrested for felony battery on a defenseless nursing home resident after police were summoned to Good Samaritan Home and Rehabilitation Center in Oakland City, Indiana.

Reportedly, Dillman, a CNA for the facility, was found sleeping in a recliner in a resident's room by facility nurse Sharlet Sillz. Sillz allegedly told Dillman that she would not report him because "she knows that he is tired and that he has kids". The room's resident, DeeAnn Hoffman was undergoing a test and was not present when Dillman was discovered sleeping. Hoffman subsequently returned to her room and was screaming "please don't hurt me" and a smacking noise was heard coming from her room.

Dillman emerged from the room and walked quickly down the hall. Sillz entered Hoffman's room and Hoffman told Sillz that Dillman tried to choke her and hit her in the face multiple times after she told him she was ready for a shower. Hoffman alleged that Dillman jumped out of the chair, got behind her, and put both hands around her neck, choking her.

Dillman alleges that he did not touch Hoffman and that he had not been asleep, just watching television. Dillman was booked into the county jail, where he posted bond. His first court hearing was October 5, 2009.

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.

Ismael Golden is wanted by the police on a misdemeanor warrant for sexual battery on a nursing home resident and by the Medicaid Fraud Unit.

Golden, 29, allegedly molested a 55 year-old male nursing home resident suffering from stroke, paralysis, depression, and heart failure on or about February 16, 2009 at the Golden Living Centers in Merrillville, Indiana. He was charged on March 16, 2009, but was never arrested.

In mid-August 2009, Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller issued subpoenas to local health providers to determine if any facility may have hired him. Allegedly, Golden was known to have used aliases in the past.

To date, Golden cannot be located and a warrant for his arrest has been issued.

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 on our website at www.nursinghomejustice.com.

The Fox 7 news team visited Columbia Healthcare Center mid-morning on Monday, August 3, 2009. Shortly after the visit, the facility's doors were locked and a "Closed to the Public" sign was hanging on the door. Why? The Evansville, Indiana facility reportedly closed for the third time in two weeks due to an alleged scabies outbreak. Scabies is a contagious skin infection transferred through close contact.

While the facility refuses to confirm or deny the allegations, employees and residents of the facility acknowledge that scabies have been an issue at the facility for at least a month. Allegedly, one facility visitor said he'd heard that the nursing home had known about the scabies problem since March 2009. Family members of residents and employees say they've heard between five and sixteen patients have contracted scabies. Fox 7's informant alleges that the nursing home told employees to keep information about the scabies outbreak under wraps and not to discuss it with media or residents.

The Terry Law Firm is experienced in handling cases of nursing home abuse and neglect. Please contact us at (888) 317-2525 or visit us on our website at www.nursinghomejustice.com.

A complaint concerning quality of care at Royal Oaks Health Care and Rehabilitation prompted a January 2009 nursing home inspection, which revealed thirteen federal regulation violations. Fortunately, no residents suffered actual harm due to the facility's violations, but the facility must take immediate corrective action.

The individual who lodged the complaint against Royal Oaks alleged that there was insufficient staff-to-resident ratio and not enough staff to ensure resident safety at the facility. The complaintant who was transported to Union Hospital in January 2009 due to seriously infected bedsores that originated at the facility. The resident also had contracted sepsis, which is a serious body infection spread through the bloodstream.

The survey, ninety pages in all, seemed endless. Among other things, the facility was cited for failing to give residents proper treatment to prevent new bedsores or heal existing ones, failing to have a program to prevent the spread of infection, and failing to ensure nurse aides have the skills to care for the residents. Eleven out of eighteen CNAs observed providing care did not demonstrate to state investigators competent skills in handwashing, use of mechanical lifts, and handling of Foley catheters and urinary drainage tubing,. The facility was also cited for failing to "ensure a sanitary environment in that seven of seventeen CNAs observed providing care failed to remove gloves and/or wash their hands once contaminated."

Other areas where federal standards were not met included:

- Ensuring each resident entering the facility without a catheter does not receive one unless necessary;

- Ensuring that residents who cannot complete activities of daily living receive help with eating/drinking, grooming, and hygiene;

- Ensuring that the facility has enough nurses to care for the residents in a way to maximize the resident's well-being; and

- Ensuring the facility has the proper drugs and other similar products available, which are needed every day and in emergencies and give them out properly.

According to the new system instituted by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, the facility is a one-star facility, which indicates a "much below average" facility.

Her family placed her at Hillcrest Centre for Health and Rehabilitation for care. Her family trusted that the Hillcrest facility would provide her with a safe environment. The thirty-three year old resident, who suffers from cerebral palsy, is unable to walk, feed, or talk. Her family believes that she was sexually assaulted on Sunday, March 22, 2009 by another resident.

According to the police report, an employee found the 65 year old man in the woman's bed while employees were making their rounds around 6:45 a.m. There was evidence of sexual molestation.

Her family is outraged. There are monitors on her doors and a baby monitor at the nurse's station for her protection. Her family is now questioning why didn't any of the employees hear it?

The man has been removed from the facility.

Arden Courts, a HCR ManorCare facility, has been slapped with the worst citation possible from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. The "Type A" citation was issued for placing its residents at risk of death or injury. It carries a fine of up to $5,000.

Seven residents of Arden Courts, a Louisville, Kentucky personal care home that specializes in caring for individuals suffering from Alzheimer's disease, was cited for failing to provide proper care for seven residents. Those residents suffered from repeated falls, some of which resulted in lacerations and abrasions; one resident was unresponsive for several minutes following the fall. Two residents developed pressure ulcers that were not identified or treated and four experienced weight loss of 24 to 39 pounds in six to nine months. The state alleges that the residents affected needed more skilled care and assistance than available at the facility. Personal care facilities typically accept individuals who are able to manage most of their own activities of daily living, such as eating, bathing, and dressing. Facility staff is available to provide some assistance, but typically residents should be able to ambulate alone. All seven residents affected were noted to be "unable to manage their activties of daily living and required total assistance from the facility staff". One resident was unable to get out of bed without assistance, three could not move their own wheelchairs, and not one of them would have been able to exit the facility in an emergency.

The Terry Law Firm is experienced in handling cases of nursing home abuse and neglect. Please contact us at 1 (888) 317-2525 or visit us at www.nursinghomejustice.com.

Karen Buck, a former certified nursing assistant (CNA) at Williamsburg Village nursing home, now doing business as Golden Living Center, faces an April 2009 trial on the felony charge of punching a 94 year old nursing home resident in the mouth. Buck allegedly punched Vera Talbott on June 2, 2007 after Ms. Talbott spit at her.

Ms. Talbott entered the facility after suffering a stroke. Her daughter visited her daily. One Saturday, her daughter found Ms. Talbott with a red face, food sitting in front of her, and drugged almost unconscious. The facility refused to tell her what was wrong with her mother's face. After her daughter left the facility, a nurse called her and told her they were sending her mother to the hospital and that a CNA had hit her. A detective later told her daughter that a fellow CNA saw Buck "slug and slap" Ms. Talbott in the face two or three times. Ms. Talbott suffered a black eye and other facial bruises.

Ms. Talbott died on September 2, 2007.

Nursing home resident, Rodney Kenney, died after catching fire while sitting in his wheelchair at Regency Place, an Indiana nursing home. On May 26, 2008, Mr. Kenney was found with a cigarette lighter near his wheelchair, even though he was not a smoker. He was, however, an Alzheimer patient who required substantial supervision. Shortly after Mr. Kenney caught fire, state regulations swooped in to investigate. Amazingly, upon their arrival, state employees were informed that no one was in charge. As a result of the state investigation, the facility was cited for improperly supervising Mr. Kenney, as well as medication errors related to a second resident, inadequate staffing, and inadequate screening for employees. The facility faces fines and possible denial of Medicare and Medicaid payments for new admissions after August 19, 2008.