A CNA at Northwoods Rehabilitation Center, a New York nursing home, is being charged multiple felony charges related to an alleged sexual assault of a 78-year-old resident.  The New York Attorney General has filed criminal charges against Robert Gunderson for sexual assaults that occurred at Northwoods between December, 2007 and January 2008.

Gunderson faces similar charges for sexually assaulting a 28-year-old resident with multiple sclerosis at Eddy Ford Nursing Home.  In that incident Gunderson allegedly inappropriately touched the wheelchair bound resident between August and September, 2008.

Both of these incidents are the the result of New York Attorney General's crackdown on nursing home abuse.  Attorney General Cuomo is an outspoken proponent of use of video cameras in patient rooms to capture inappropriate behavior on tape.  Since Cuomo has initiated the program more than 70 nursing home employees have been arrested or convicted of for abusing nursing home residents.

Read more about this case of nursing home abuse in New York here.

Nursing Homes' Responsibility To Residents

Facilities have a duty to protect residents from physical and psychological harm.  In this sense, preventative measures such as background checks should be conducted for all employees.  If a facility fails to properly screen its employees and the worker physically harms a resident, the facility may be responsible for paying damages from a nursing home lawsuit.

Frequent visits to a nursing home to check on loved ones can be the best defense to situations involving abuse.  Families and friends should be aware of potential signs of nursing home abuse:

• Broken bones
• Bloody clothing
• Sudden emotional withdrawl
• Bruises

If you suspect abuse of a loved one, contact law enforcement officials immediately in order to get help and to secure potential evidence of the crime. 

Related Nursing Homes Abuse Blog Entries

Ohio Nurse Sentenced To 12 and 1/2 Years For Sexually Abusing 100 Nursing Home Residents

Caught On Tape: 90-Year-Old Man Beaten By Home Nurse

Failure To Properly Screen CNA Could Cost Facility 3.5 Million