Three Nursing Home Employees Charged for Abusing
Posted by Administrator (admin) on Apr 24 2009 at 5:06 PM
Nursing Home Negligence >>

Three nursing home employees from the Western New York region have been arrested and charged for abusing elderly and ill patients. A fourth one has been convicted for the same.

The arrests were announced by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo on December 8. All the arrests were done as a part of a statewide investigation into abuse and neglect at nursing homes.

The abusive acts include physically attacking and using racial slurs against an 86-year-old Alzheimer’s patient, slapping a 100-year-old patient in the face, and tying an elderly dementia patient to a chair for two successive nights.

“My office remains committed to protecting the vulnerable and defenseless by uncovering and prosecuting alleged abuses at nursing homes across the state,” Cuomo said.

The accused are:

• Corey Austin, 28, a certified nurse aide who was terminated February 2007 from Gowanda Nursing Home, where he had been working formerly, after a violent encounter with a patient. Austin used racial slurs and attacked the patient, repeatedly pushing him to the floor and pinning him to his bed with his knee in the patient’s back. Austin was convicted after a non-jury trial before the Hon. Arnold Andolsek in Town of Persia Court, of endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person and willful violation of health laws. Austin may receive two years of imprisonment.
• Jeffrey Perry, 23, a certified nurse aide accused of tying an elderly resident to a chair with a belt for two successive nights at the Gowanda Nursing Home. Perry has not pleaded guilty at her arraignment in Amherst Town Court. Her trial is due back in court on December 23.
• Patricia Penman, 57, a certified nurse aide is accused of physically abusing a 100-year-old female resident from the Rosa Coplon Jewish Home and Infirmary.  Penman has not pleaded guilty at her arraignment in Amherst Town Court. Her trial is due back in court on December 10.
• Jeanette Sovereign, 45, a licensed practical nurse, was accused of not reporting the incident although she was aware of it. Sovereign also has not pleaded guilty and are due back in court on Dec. 23.