Nursing Home Worker Faces Charges for Mocking Elderly Resident
A former worker in a San Diego-area nursing home who officials say took part in posting a video online mocking an elderly patient is facing criminal charges.
According to a 10News report, LaToya Walker was charged with misdemeanor counts of elderly abuse and invasion of privacy.
Walker is accused of taking part in posting a video on Snapchat in October and showed a partially nude patient being mocked by two female employees.
The video allegedly showed two female employees at LifeHOUSE Vista Healthcare Center employees mocking a 90-year-old woman with severe dementia before they gave her a shower.
A whistleblower provided images from the video to 10News since videos posted to Snapchat disappear within 24 hours.
An attorney for the nursing home confirmed that Walker and the other employee involved in the incident have been fired.
Officials also said that the California Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) board revoked the certification for one of the women and suspended the other for 30 days.
Police and health officials have investigated the incident as a possible elder abuse case.
Nursing Home Emotional Abuse
Information compiled in 2012 by the National Center on Elder Abuse and the Bureau of Justice Statistics show that elder neglect was the most common form of elder abuse in 2010. Elder emotional abuse was reported in roughly 435,195 cases nationwide.
In 2010, approximately 9.5 percent of the elderly American population experienced abuse or neglect. It’s important to bear in mind that this number could still be underreported.
Elder emotional abuse can happen within a nursing home or assisted living facility or could come from a caregiver, volunteer or any other person working at the facility. It could even happen at home with an in-home caregiver or family member.
Emotional abuse in nursing homes encompasses any type of psychological or emotional pain inflicted on the elder. This could include humiliation, ridicule, blaming, derogatory behavior, intimidation or isolation.
Justice for Victims
If your loved one has been emotionally abused in a nursing home or assisted living facility, please understand that he or she has legal rights.
If you suspect elder abuse, report the incident to local law enforcement authorities and to the facility’s administrators.
Contact an experienced California nursing home abuse attorney who will stay abreast of the investigation and ensure that your loved one’s best interests are protected and that the wrongdoers are held accountable.