Is there a major problem related to patient abuse at Springside Nursing Home?
Not surprisingly, it depends who you ask. In my eye, I suspect the answer is a resounding ‘yes’ after abusive events have come to light that most definitely make me question patient care at that facility. According to an article in the Berkshire Eagle, “Elderly patient abuse alleged” three employees at Springside have recently been terminated by the facility for their roles related to patient abuse.
The three recently terminated employees include:
- Jodi LeBrake, for allegedly stuffing a sock in the mouth of a disabled 72-year old patient who was crying for help from the staff after she had wet herself.
- Amy Simkewicz, a CNA who witnessed Ms. leBrake’s abusive conduct, but never reported the abuse to authorities
- Sandra Yankey, who incidentally has a prior criminal record, was terminated on the spot after colleagues witnessed her pulling the hair of an 80-year-old patient
Perhaps, not surprisingly, a spokeswoman for Genesis Healthcare (the parent company of Springside) Jeanne Moore said the incidents were “isolated and unrelated”. Hmmm… isolated? unrelated?
If my family were at this facility Ms. Moore’s comments would hardly be soothing my concerns about my relatives safety. Simply by the fact that these incidents occurred within a tight window of time, my suspicion is that a culture of abusive employee conduct was allowed to permeate this facility. I certainly hope Genesis officials begin their inquest with the supervisors of these women and learn what–if anything– they knew about this abusive conduct.
Related Nursing Homes Abuse Blog Entries:
Elder Abuse Is Widespread, Yet Only 4% of All Cases Get Reported To Authorities
Steps To Take When Filing A Nursing Home Complaint With A State Agency
Attorney Jonathan Rosenfeld Discusses Nursing Home Violence In AARP Article