Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit News
Two Nurses Jailed For Withholding Patient Medication
Two Florida nurses have been jailed on multiple charges of abuse and neglect after failing to administer to nursing home residents their required medication. If convicted, the women could face heavy fines and prison sentences.
Ashley Dawn Fralick and Melissa Elaine Bowen—who were employed at the Good Samaritan Center Nursing Facility—came under investigation when the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit received a report of abuse from the Florida Department of Children and Families.
The management staff at the nursing facility conducted medication counts of the women’s carts before and after their shifts and found that more than 70 doses of medication, including medication for depression, pain, and high blood pressure, were either not accounted for or provided to patients.
“Knowing that elderly patients were denied essential medications is heartbreaking. These victims rightly deserved and expected care and attention, but instead received neglect and abuse,” said Attorney General Bill McCollum.
Investigators think the nurses were falsifying records to make it appear as though the patients were receiving their necessary medications. As is common with nursing home abuse cases, most of the victims lacked the cognitive capacity to know what was going on and alert their family or staff.
Neglect of elderly persons is considered a third-degree felony in Florida. Fralick is charged with 16 counts and Bowen with 10.
Do you suspect elderly abuse or neglect? If you believe your loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, you can take action to hold responsible parties accountable. Please contact us today for a FREE consultation with an experienced attorney near you.
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Additional Nursing Home Abuse Articles:
February 7, 2007,
Two Florida nurses have been jailed on multiple charges of abuse and neglect after failing to administer to nursing home residents their required medication. March 16, 2005,
"Largest private nursing home fined for failing to report abuse" November 24, 2004,
"Whistleblower nursing home abuse lawsuit settles"
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