A nursing home resident named Richard Johnson suffered a fall from his bed on April 10, 2018. Nursing home staff allowed him to lay on the floor for over an hour as he called for the nurses to help. One arrived, saw him on the floor, and did nothing but walk out of the room. 15 minutes later, when staff finally responded, they lampooned the vulnerable elderly man for falling.
“You were on the bed. You decided to go on the floor, so don’t complain that it’s cold . . . ” – Elder Abuse Caught on Hidden Camera in North Carolina Nursing Home
What Happened to Richard Johnson?
Mr. Johnson is an elderly man recovering from a stroke. He was admitted into the Raleigh, North Carolina facility for assistance with his activities of daily living. This included his need for help and supervision relating to fall prevention.
His daughter, Rebecca, was suspicious of the care he was receiving inside the facility. As a result, she set up a hidden camera, disguised as an alarm clock. She was shocked at what she found captured on camera.
Not only did Richard suffer a fall, but he was allowed to lay on the cold floor in pain for far too long a time period, then face ridicule from an uncaring nursing staff.
Too add insult to injury, after his fall, a nursing home staff member blamed Mr. Johnson for suffering a stroke, telling him:
“You had to do something very wrong with your life. What did you do? . . . Shame on you!”
Where Did this Nursing Home Abuse Take Place?
Universal Healthcare North Raleigh is located at 5201 Clarks Fork Drive in Raleigh, NC. The 132-bed for profit facility has been subject to a number of citations resulting in concern for resident safety. This is yet another example of facility staff failing to provide services to residents as the standard of care requires.
The two employees who actively made fun of Mr. Johnson were terminated. Ownership of the facility has issued a statement calling their behavior “completely unacceptable . . . by basic human decency [standards].”
The Subsequent State Investigation
The state agency, the Division of Health Service Regulation, has substantiated claims against Universal Healthcare for abusing and neglecting Mr. Johnson. Specifically, the government investigation found the facility liable for failing to prevent falls, failing to report falls, failing to notify family members of injury and allowing abuse and neglect of its residents. It is unclear at this time whether the Johnson family plans to file a nursing home negligence lawsuit.
Watch the hidden camera footage inside the nursing home here.
Learn more about how to report nursing home abuse in your area.
