Three former employees at a nursing home were indicted for senior abuse after an 84-year old woman suffered 100 ant bites while under their care.

According to a statement announced by the Attorney General of Alabama, the women, Sandra C., Kacey A., and Shawna R., pled guilty to allegations of senior abuse in Cherokee County Circuit Court.

Sandra, a licensed practical nurse resides in Centre, Ala., along with Kacey, a certified nursing assistant. Shawna, a fellow certified nursing assistant resides in Rome, Ga. The trio were former employees of Cherokee Health and Rehab Nursing Home, located in Centre, Ala.

Sandra, Kacey and Shawna were allegedly responsible for the care of the 84-year old woman on the night of Sept. 3, 2016 through the following morning while she was a resident at the nursing home facility. Although the employees charted that they checked on her numerous times that night, a surveillance video shows that not one of them entered the room for approximately 11 hours.

A two year prison sentence was suspended for the employees following senior abuse and negligence indictment charges. Instead, the three women have been placed on probation. Additionally, Sandra was forced to turn in her nursing license, and all three employees are prohibited from working in a healthcare facility in the future.

“Alabama law recognizes that the care of those who are vulnerable is a serious responsibility, and those who are entrusted with this charge have a legal obligation to properly fulfill their duties,” the Attorney General said of the case. “These defendants not only failed to provide adequate care, but they were shown to have lied about their negligence that resulted in harm and injury to a nursing home patient.”

Senior Abuse Lawsuit Investigation

Senior abuse resulting from nursing home neglect is not only heart-wrenching, it’s also against the law. There is a significant issue in the United States surrounding nursing home neglect. According to the Nursing Home Abuse Center, it is estimated that about “1-2 million U.S. citizens 65 years of age or older have been mistreated, exploited or injured by a caregiver.”

Nursing home neglect frequently occurs in long-term health care institutions such as assisted living facilities, skilled nursing home facilities, care homes, adult day care centers and residential boards.

Additionally, although there are variations in state laws pertaining to senior abuse or nursing home neglect, the laws generally denote the following types of mistreatment:

• Neglect is the repeated failure or undoing by those responsible to seniors in providing food, shelter, health care, and protection. Some signs of nursing home negligence can include pressure sores, bed sores, malnutrition, fractures from falls, dehydration, urinary tract infections, and chronic infections.
• Physical abuse is the infliction of physical pain or injury and the deprivation of necessities.
• Abandonment is the desertion by an individual responsible for the care of a vulnerable person. This also includes the abandonment of a senior during a natural disaster.