Family Releases Video of Nursing Home Abuse

The family of a woman who was abused in a nursing home is sharing the video they captured on a hidden camera in hopes of protecting other dependent adults.  Eryetha Mayberry was 96-years-old when she died.  Her last few years were spent in a nursing home.  It was a place her daughters thought she would be safe.

Doris Racher says she and her sisters would visit their mother daily and spent several hours with her every week.  However, they never knew the people and staff they befriended at the nursing home would be the abusers of their mother.

The sisters installed a hidden camera because of concerns other residents might be taking some of their mother’s things.  When they reviewed the recordings, they saw the nursing home staff members stuff latex gloves in their mother’s mouth.  They also saw two women violently move their mother from her wheelchair to the bed.

The video ultimately resulted in criminal charges against one of the workers.  Another worker fled the area and hasn’t been seen since.

Wes Bledsoe, the founder of the nursing home advocacy group “A Perfect Cause,” said Mayberry’s abuse is sadly not an isolated case.  Bledsoe said there have been 463 cases of mistreatment of dependent adults in nursing homes in the last three years.  Bledsoe believes the actual abuse numbers could reach into tens-of-thousands because many cases of abuse or neglect are never reported.

Bledsoe says it is important family members visit their loved ones often and at different times of the day to understand who is watching over their loved ones.  He says it’s important to take note of any physical signs of abuse or neglect.  However he says emotional signs abuse shouldn’t be overlooked.  Those signs can included a person being more withdrawn or showing anxiety towards a certain person or certain groups of people.

Bledsoe says the most important thing families can do to guarantee their loved one’s safety is to install a hidden camera and monitor the video so you can see what happens when you are not in the room.
Family Releases Video of Nursing Home Abuse

Posted: Tuesday, May 7 2013, 05:42 PM CDT