A new video released last week shows employees at a North Carolina nursing home scolding a patient for soiling himself and then leaving him on the floor where he had fallen. According to the patient’s daughter, Rebecca Knapton, her 68-year-old father fell and called for help, only to be chided for having an accident. Surveillance video captured Knapton’s father falling out of this bed a little after 4 a.m. He was heard calling for help for more than an hour before an employee walked into his room, checking on him before leaving without offering any help. The man, who was recovering from a recent stroke, began calling for help once again until several employees finally came into the room, asking what he was doing on the floor. He replied,”I need help”, only to be berated for soiling himself.
The video shows one staff member telling the man, “you had to do something very wrong with your life. What did you do? You’re suffering so bad, so you’ve done something wrong. Yes, you did.” The man wasn’t placed back into his bed until nearly 6 a.m. and continued to face ridicule and contempt from the staff. Not only did the staff fail to help the man, then verbally chastise him for not being able to help himself, but they removed a pillow from under his head once he was placed back in bad, tell him, “shame on you. Shame on you.” Knapton, the man’s daughter, says her father told her he was being mistreated and abused by staff at Universal Health Care in Raleigh, which is why she had a camera installed in order to monitor his care. All involved staff members have been terminated and there is an ongoing investigation headed by the state that is looking into both the incident and the nursing home.
Nursing Home Abuse Still a Problem
As the elderly population in the United States continues to grow at a dramatic rate, we are seeing more and more instances of elder abuse. According to the U.S. census, more than 40 million people – or over 13% of the population – are over the age of 65. Furthermore, an estimated 6 million individuals are more than 85 years old. There are numerous reasons why nursing home abuse is such a serious problem in our country, including the fact that many facilities are understaffed and under-trained. Here is a look at some additional statistics surrounding nursing home abuse to help give you a better idea of why this is such a concern:
- More than 5 million elders are abused every single year
- 1 in 10 elders over the age of 60 have been abused at one point or another
- Nearly a quarter of all nursing home residents have experienced at least one instance of physical abuse while in a nursing home
Unfortunately, many cases of elder abuse go unreported, making it difficult to pinpoint exactly how many people are affected. As we saw with the North Carolina story mentioned above, nursing home cases are often demoralizing and shocking. When our loved ones must seek out care in a nursing home, we believe they are being well-cared for and looked after. However, that is not always the case. It is imperative that you understand the signs of nursing home abuse and talk to your loved ones about their experience. This type of behavior is absolutely unacceptable. If your loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse in Dallas, please contact Wormington & Bollinger today. Our experienced nursing home abuse lawyers will ensure you understand your rights and advise you on how to proceed from here.