While we all know that nursing homes often fail to provide the care and protection our elderly loved ones are entitled to, nursing homes often fail to provide adequate security when it comes to visitors. Unfortunately, the lax practice of letting visitors come and go with hardly a notice by staff members has resulted in what is alleged as rape at Woods Nursing Home in Tennessee.
Just days ago, an 18 year old man entered the facility to visit a patient at the nursing home, and allegedly raped the elderly female patient. A Madisonville man has been accused of the crime against the woman, who is 79 years old. The nursing home is located in Sweetwater, Tennessee and police department spokesman Kenny Wilkins reported that Caleb Belcher, the 18 year old man in question, was arrested on charges of rape and elder abuse and held without bond.
Sweetwater police were assisted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
While most of us realize that nursing home abuse and neglect does occur in many of the facilities we trust the care of our loved ones to, we don’t usually think about such brutal acts as rape. Nursing homes should do a better job of policing who comes in to their facility, so that things like this do not happen. If nursing homes were to account for visitors, determine which resident they are there to visit, and have them sign in and out, horrendous acts like this would not occur.
Elderly people are vulnerable, and should never be subjected to this type of treatment. If nursing homes enforced stricter visitor policies, an incident such as this one would never be a worry to family members who have loved ones in nursing home facilities. There are enough issues in nursing homes and elderly care facilities without having to worry about your loved one being the victim of a brutal attack.
Nursing home residents have rights, and should be protected. If you suspect that your loved one is being abused or neglected in a nursing home or elderly care facility, alert authorities. A reputable Buffalo nursing home abuse lawyer can advise you on what steps you should take if you believe your loved one is being mistreated or improperly cared for in a nursing home.
Brown Chiari is a team of experienced Buffalo personal injury attorneys helping victims of personal injury incidents with legal representation.
