Poor care in nursing homes and elderly care facilities has unfortunately been a longstanding problem in New York State, as evidenced recently when an RN surrendered her license following a nursing home abuse matter. Myrna Siegel, a registered nurse, surrendered her license following an investigation performed by the State Office of Medicaid Inspector General. Siegel had physically and verbally abused residents. According to Mid-Hudson News reports, she called one resident an ‘evil witch’ after forcibly holding the resident down while giving care. Siegel also reportedly told a male resident that if he did not take his medicine, “he had a death wish and was going to die.”
In other New York nursing home abuse news, two Staten Island nursing home staff members recently lost their licenses following the abuse of a 40-year-old resident. This incident occurred at Lily Pond Nursing Home.
Cynthia Ferry, a CNA at Lily Pond, was observed by an EMT striking the resident in the head. On the night that the assault took place, a Licensed Practical Nurse working as the evening nurse supervisor was informed by the EMT that Ferry had struck a resident on the head. The LPN, Josefina Bernabe, instructed the EMT not to report the incident to protect Ferry from getting in trouble. Both Ferry and Bernabe were forced to surrender their licenses with the condition that they do not engage in any type of health care employment. Ferry and Bernabe were charged by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the New York State Attorney General’s Office.
Of course New York isn’t the only state that sees an overabundance of nursing home abuse – and the sad thing is, most of the abuse goes on without staff or family members being aware of the abuse/neglect. Abuse is a serious and growing problem across the nation; we expect our loved ones to be cared for and nurtured in these facilities, but all too often this is not the case.
Brown Chiari is a team of nursing home abuse Law Firm in Buffalo who work diligently to protect the rights of those who have suffered abuse in nursing homes. Contact us today for a free evaluation of your case.
