Lora Washburn thought she was doing the right thing when she told state inspectors about the abuse of an elderly resident at the Iowa nursing home where she worked.
But Washburn was fired a few days after making the report. Her boss at Montrose Health Center accused her of trying to intimidate a co-worker into giving state inspectors information about the alleged abuse. The co-worker, who has admitted under oath that she downplayed her report to the state to protect the nursing home, has since been promoted.
Washburn says this isn't how it's supposed to work. Under Iowa law, all health care professionals are considered "mandatory reporters," meaning they must report cases of suspected dependent-adult abuse. Failure to do so is a crime — at least in theory.
But state officials say there is no record of anyone being convicted of violating Iowa's mandatory-reporter law during the past 10 years. The last known conviction was in 1997, and that resulted in a $50 fine.
Gerald Jogerst, a University of Iowa researcher who has studied elder abuse: "That doesn't surprise me. I don't think there are really any teeth in that law. It's just paper. I think we've proven that in Iowa."
Full Article and Source:
Health workers who ignore abuse rarely punished
But Washburn was fired a few days after making the report. Her boss at Montrose Health Center accused her of trying to intimidate a co-worker into giving state inspectors information about the alleged abuse. The co-worker, who has admitted under oath that she downplayed her report to the state to protect the nursing home, has since been promoted.
Washburn says this isn't how it's supposed to work. Under Iowa law, all health care professionals are considered "mandatory reporters," meaning they must report cases of suspected dependent-adult abuse. Failure to do so is a crime — at least in theory.
But state officials say there is no record of anyone being convicted of violating Iowa's mandatory-reporter law during the past 10 years. The last known conviction was in 1997, and that resulted in a $50 fine.
Gerald Jogerst, a University of Iowa researcher who has studied elder abuse: "That doesn't surprise me. I don't think there are really any teeth in that law. It's just paper. I think we've proven that in Iowa."
Full Article and Source:
Health workers who ignore abuse rarely punished
5 comments:
Baby boomers are coming around and the economy is not. Things are going to get worse.
Caring people must hold government accountable in order to stop this abuse and neglect.
There must be laws, with teeth, and meaningful enforcement.
Enforcement with the sharp jaws of life of the laws on the books - no mercy, whatsoever, ever!
Lora Washburn did the right thing and she'll be able to sleep a peaceful and restful sleep because she did.
I am sorry for what she is going through. Whistleblowers always seem to get the shaft.
This sounds like the old Twi-light Zone. The one who lies to protect the evil doer gets a pat on the back, a salary increase? and promoted and the one who does the right thing gets the ax and joins the unemployment lines.
Where are the Civil Liberties gang?
I thought we were going to have change but this sounds like business as usual.
There was a nursing home in IA that was investigated on charges of three murders in 2003. The invetigation was thorough and one body was even exhumed with murder indeed confirmed. A huge payout was made to murdered families members. The members of the other murdered victims refused to press charges. Guess what, no one from the county attorney's office all the way up to the State AG would prosecute.
The practice of controlling and intimidating the weak and elderly in IA is sanctioned
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