Not all health care workers have the best priority of the patients in mind. Over time, the job can jade people and make them do things that they shouldn’t. This can lead to an elder abuse situation that must be handled. Depending on what happened, it could put the worker or the facility in the path of a lawsuit.
Two employees in Massachusetts are accused of using Snapchat to record videos of themselves verbally harassing elders. Snapchat allows users to send text or video to a select group of people. The content is only visible for 1-10 seconds before it disappears from their phone, though it is possible to record screenshots of the images before the vanish. Also, Snapchat does retain the information on their servers.
One video shows one of the workers asking a patient about sex and marijuana. The second shows a worker screaming at a patient who was sound asleep. The two admitted that other videos were recorded as well.
The told police it was “just a joke”, but that wasn’t enough to stop their arrest. The facility they worked for took immediate action and terminated their employment, and also released a public announcement about the incident. They are cooperating with the investigation.
No one should have their dignity violated while they are in a healthcare facility. Emotional abuse can be just as damaging as physical abuse or medical malpractice. If you believe that emotional abuse is occurring to your loved one, call Schenk Smith Trial Attorneys today for a free consultation.
