More nursing home aides are in legal trouble after taking demeaning pictures and video with residents. This comes after a government announcement regarding a crackdown on nursing home policies regarding social media abuse of residents.
21-year-old Mathew Reynolds and 28-year-old Angel Rood had been employed as nurse’s aides at Pontiac Nursing Home is Oswego, New York. It was during their employment that they used an iPhone to take “demeaning” photos of a resident. Included in the photos were those taken with both Rood and Reynolds lying in bed with a patient and touching them in a threatening and abusive manner.
Reynolds and Rood face charges of endangering the welfare of a disabled or mentally incompetent adult as well as two charges each of willful violation of public health law. Both were terminated when the incident was discovered.
A separate incident at nearby St. Luke’s Health Services saw two other aides charged for filming a resident in 2014. 24-year-old Austin Powell and 21-year-old Brittany Bolster were the aides involved in the incident.
Powell allegedly took video of him repeatedly touching the nose of a resident until she became agitated. Powell was fired over the incident in February of 2015. Bolster, who was seen in the video but did not report the incident to supervisors was also fired later that year.
Powell and Bolster are charged with the same crimes as Reynolds and Rood.
Both facilities had strict policies forbidding the use of cell phones to capture images or video of nursing home residents.
If you or someone you love has been the victim of abuse or neglect while residing in a nursing facility, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the law offices of Schenk Smith. Our attorneys can help you get the compensation you deserve. Call us now.
