Criminal charges have been brought against three nursing home workers on duty the night an Alzheimer's patient wandered from Texas nursing home to his death.  The three were employed in various capacities at a facility known as Tumbleweed Nursing Home on the evening of February 3rd of this year.

Surveillance video from the nursing home demonstrated that an Alzheimer's patient that the staff was responsible for supervising wandered without any intervention from the safety of the nursing home into the frigid outside temperatures.  Hours after the patient left the nursing home, he was found dead outside.  An autopsy revealed that the man's death was related to hypothermia.

After evaluating the evidence related to this nursing home death, a Grand Jury determined that there was sufficient evidence for to prosecute the workers on charges related to injury to the elderly, a third-degree felony.

Like other situations involving injuries to a nursing home resident, the family of this deceased nursing home patients may also elect to pursue a civil lawsuit against this facility based upon the negligence in supervising their loved one.  Unlike a criminal case, families in a civil case may recover money damages for the loss of their loved one.  Read more about the criminal charges pending against these nursing home employees here.

Related Nursing Homes Abuse Blog Entries:

Hypothermia Confirmed As Cause Of Death In Nursing Home Wandering Case

Elderly Woman Wanders From Her Convalescent Home To Her Death

Woman Dies From Hypothermia After Wandering From Assisted Living Facility

Alzheimer's Resident Dies Hours After Escaping From Illinois Nursing Home