As CBS 2′s Jennifer McLogan reported, of the nine employees charged, seven of them were arrested in connection with the October 2012 death of 72-year-old patient Aurelia Rios.
Licensed professional Kethlie Joseph is charged with criminally negligent homicide and administrator David Fielding is accused of an alleged cover-up.
Rios, a retired dental assistant and mother of three, suffered from pneumonia and was sent to Medford Multicare Center for six weeks of temporary rehab, McLogan reported.Authorities said during Rios’ stay, her ventilator became disconnected and workers at the facility ignored alarms for two hours, 1010 WINS’ Mona Rivera reported.
Rios died soon after, and her daughter said the family was told she died of a heart attack, Rivera reported.
“It didn’t sit right with us,” Rios’ daughter, Michelle Giamarino, said. “I cried a lot, but now I’m very angry. … How can you be that negligent? That’s a life.”Meanwhile, a whistle-blower secretly contacted state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, and an investigation into Rios’ death ensued, McLogan reported.
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9 Arrested in LI Nursing Home Following Patient's Death
Right, so no doubt the next step was to fire the whistleblower and drag her name through the mud. Then when the state showed up, get them on board with the cover-up.
ReplyDeleteWhat changed to make this the rare case in which wrongdoing was actually investigated? How can we get other state officials to get off their duffs and see that their JOB is to protect the elderly, not the facilities? Maybe criminal negligence charges against those who ignore and cover up this kind of blatant wrongdoing?
I often think how afraid the victims are in these situations, especially when they're in a facility and probably afraid anyway.
ReplyDeleteI am glad to see so many arrested. I hope they got all the perps.
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