More staffing problems at nursing homes
There seems to be an increase of nursing home employees abusing, neglecting, stealing, or otherwise taking advantage of the vulnerable residents in their care. Below are just some of the stories from the past few weeks:
RocNow by Democrat and Chronicle had a story about a CNA who is accused of stealing a credit card from a nursing home patient and then submitting a forged application for public benefits to Monroe County. Latoya Harding, 28, employed at the Blossom South Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, was arraigned on several charges including fourth-degree grand larceny, offering a false instrument for filing, both class E felonies, and second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, a class D felony.
After Harding was fired from Blossom South because of the theft allegation, she allegedly applied for unemployment benefits. Harding allegedly submitted an application with a forged signature of a Blossom South employee and falsely claimed that she was laid off from Blossom South. Harding is also accused of stealing a credit card from a 90-year-old patient suffering from dementia to pay her own cable, cell phone and utility bills. She also allegedly purchased items from Wal-Mart and made several cash withdrawals.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Woodtv.com had an article discussing the jail sentence of Michael James White. He will only spend six months in jail for sexually molesting an 84-year-old resident of a nursing home. The woman is mentally and physically incapicitated. White admitted to one count of criminal sexual conduct in the 4th degree. The incident took place this past summer at Metron of Lamont.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Star-Ledger had an article about a nursing home employee arrested on charges he stole about $48,000 by forging employee paychecks, including those of mentally-challenged individuals who worked at the home. Roel Lopez was responsible for distributing paychecks to mentally-challenged employees. An investigation found that Lopez kept employee paychecks and deposited them into his own account. Lopez also had phantom employees on the payroll, said the release. The thefts occurred over an approximately four-year period. Lopez was charged with theft by deception and forgery.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Advertiser had an article about another nursing home employee accused of cashing an elderly woman's check at a Lafayette store. She was arrested and booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center. Brandy Nicole Wilkins was charged with exploitation of the infirm and 11 counts of money laundering/transactions involving proceeds of criminal activity.
Wilkins, a former employee of Golden Age of Welsh Nursing Home in Welsh, is the second person arrested in connection with the incident. Vercey Lawdins, 26, was arrested on Oct. 13 on the same charges as Wilkins. Lawdins is accused of stealing a $6,050 check from an elderly resident of the nursing home. She and Wilkins then allegedly cashed the check at a Lafayette Wal-Mart store and used the money to buy 11 $550 gift cards, Gerdes said.
