Prompted in part by the freezing death of an Alzheimer's patient who wandered outside her nursing home in the middle of the night last month, DuPage County is setting up a team to investigate allegations of physical abuse of senior citizens in nursing homes, as well as in-home health-care situations.
State's Atty. Joseph Birkett has asked the Illinois Department on Aging to allow the establishment of an Elder Abuse Fatality Review Team that would investigate claims of violence against county residents 60 and older. A state law allows approved programs to access restricted information such as nursing home records.
The team would consist of representatives from the state's attorney's office, the sheriff, the county coroner, police, nursing home associations, and county and state senior citizens agencies.
Heidi Leon, a 23-year-old nursing assistant, was charged with criminal neglect of a long-term care facility resident, criminal neglect of an elderly person and obstruction of justice in connection with the death of Sarah Wentworth, 89, whose body was found in an Itasca nursing home's courtyard after she was outside for perhaps as long as five hours.
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Abuse of DuPage elderly to get closer scrutiny
State's Atty. Joseph Birkett has asked the Illinois Department on Aging to allow the establishment of an Elder Abuse Fatality Review Team that would investigate claims of violence against county residents 60 and older. A state law allows approved programs to access restricted information such as nursing home records.
The team would consist of representatives from the state's attorney's office, the sheriff, the county coroner, police, nursing home associations, and county and state senior citizens agencies.
Heidi Leon, a 23-year-old nursing assistant, was charged with criminal neglect of a long-term care facility resident, criminal neglect of an elderly person and obstruction of justice in connection with the death of Sarah Wentworth, 89, whose body was found in an Itasca nursing home's courtyard after she was outside for perhaps as long as five hours.
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Abuse of DuPage elderly to get closer scrutiny
Criminal prosecutions of healthcare providers are an important factor in preventing
ReplyDeletenegligent homicide of vulnerable citizens. We need to see court appointed attorneys as Guardians prosecuted when their 'wards' are victims of negligent homicide by providers they for their 'wards' as they are required by their license to Advocate zeolously for their clients. An annual visit does not equate to advocating zeolously for their client by the 'reasonable person' standard
I am glad to see a much needed investigation and hope the nursing home is held accountable for this unnecessary death.
ReplyDeleteThis is good beginning and a WARNING to others, if you fail in your responsibilities and duties, you will be held accountable. Thank you State's Atty. Joseph Birkett!
ReplyDeleteI am gald to see DuPage County taking this on instead of just sweeping it under the rug.
ReplyDeleteI am hopeful something positive will result from the investigation.
Heidi Leon needs to spend the rest of her life in prison.
I feel so sad for the family of the victim, Sarah Wentworth. To live 89 years and die like that freezing to death all alone makes me want to sit down and cry for her.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see some non-professionals on the list of investigators, too, to balance out the team.
ReplyDelete