News
Virginia Nursing Home Reportedly Ignored Abuse
Posted on Mar 30, 2010
According to an article in the Bristol Herald Courier newspaper, the National Health Care - Bristol, Virginia nursing home has been charged with ignoring and discouraging reports of sexually abused patients. The accusations in the article describe a a series of assaults by ex-nursing aide James Wright. Mr. Wright is awaiting sentencing for aggravated sexual battery of four former NHC patients. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Nursing homes must be diligent in protecting their patients. That includes conducting criminal background checks, verifying that new employees are not on the state police sexual predator lists, and investigating allegations of physical, sexual, and mental abuse of residents. Nursing home patients are especially vulnerable to abuse because many patients lack the physical and mental capacity to resist abuse. Likewise many lack the capacity to report abuse and even when they report abuse, the allegations often are not taken seriously.
If you have reason to suspect a loved one is being abused in a nursing home, you should take action. Resources to protect the elderly include Adult Protective Services (APS), the local police department, your doctor, and the Virginia Department of Health Complaint Unit.
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The long term care attorneys at Williamson & Lavecchia, L.C. represent victims of nursing home and assisted living facility neglect and abuse throughout Virginia, including Richmond, Fredericksburg, Fairfax, Charlottesville, Roanoke, Martinsville, Norfolk, Hampton, Farmville, and Virginia Beach. If you or a loved one has been harmed by a nursing home or an assisted living facility, please call us at (804) 288-1661 or click here to contact us by email to discuss your legal rights.