Maryland Heights, Missouri Nurse Arrested and Charged with Elder Abuse
A nursing home employee was arrested for abusing a resident of the home in Maryland Heights, Missouri in St. Louis County.
According to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch news brief, the nurse scratched a patient’s face several times after becoming angry with the patient. The patient was 72 years old at the time of the assault.
The arrested nurse was charged with third degree elder abuse, a class A misdemeanor.
A National Center on Elder Abuse report stated that between 1 and 2 million Americans age 65 or older have been injured or exploited in some way by a caretaker. In domestic settings, only 1 in 14 of these incidents are reported to police.
Among the types of abuse reported in the study were nursing home neglect, gross abuse, self-neglect, financial exploitation and physical abuse.
Signs of elder abuse include bruises, pressure marks, broken bones, sudden changes in financial situation, bedsores, strained relationships and frequent arguments. The NCEA recommends that people keep an eye out for the warning signs to make sure their loved ones are being treated well.
The attorneys of WWF&G are experienced in handling nursing home abuse cases in the St. Louis area and have done so for more than two decades.
Nursing homes in Illinois and Missouri must follow certain standards of care to remain compliant with law. In Illinois, the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act provides specific remedies that residents and family members can obtain including compensatory damages and punitive damages. The majority of nursing homes are required to not only abide by the Nursing Home Care Act, but Illinois Administrative Law remedies, as well as Federal Administrative Laws.
If a family member is thought to be the subject of neglect at a nursing home, the following steps can be followed:
1. Immediately contact the nursing home administrator and director of nursing with these complaints;
2. Call the Illinois Department of Public Health Hotline and ask for an immediate investigation;
3. Seek legal assistance immediately. Contact Thomas Falb and Mike Glisson for a free consultation.