Civil suit filed in egregious nursing home abuse case

The operator of nursing home in Albert Lea (MN) and four fired nursingassistants were sued Tuesday over allegations that the aides groped,spanked and spat on several nursing home residents suffering fromdementia or Alzheimer’s disease.  The lawsuit filed Tuesday in Freeborn County claims the nursingassistants spent four months abusing residents at Good SamaritanSociety in early 2008.

Among other things, the lawsuit alleges the aides hit a male residentin the testicles, poked women in the breasts and spit water on aresident. The lawsuit accuses one aide of inserting her finger into aresident’s rectum. Another aide is accused of shoving her bare buttocksin a resident’s face, and telling another resident she was in jail toconfuse and distress the woman.

The nursing assistants also are accused of taunting residents until they screamed.

“The lawsuit really is an effort to try and change the system. We’retalking about four families that were dramatically affected by whathappened here,” said Jim Carey, an attorney for the plaintiffs. “Whatyou found in this case was horrific, systemic and continual abuse.

More:  WCCO, http://wcco.com/local/nursing.home.aides.2.1449970.html