Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog
In national nursing home abuse news, our Maryland-based Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Lawyers have been following the recent lawsuit in which Valerie Lamb, one of three former employees of Madison Manor who were indicted for nursing home abuse, pleaded guilty yesterday to a misdemeanor charge, for abusing an adult patient.
Lamb, a former employee of Madison Manor, otherwise known as Richmond Health and Rehabilitation Complex, was indicted in a grand jury trial in April, after being filmed on a hidden camera abusing Armeda Thomas, an Alzheimer’s patient and resident of the Kentucky home.
The family of Thomas suspected that Armeda was experiencing nursing home abuse, and they planted a hidden surveillance camera to film her treatment in August of 2008. The camera caught incidents of abuse and neglect on tape by several of the nursing home staff members.
In the indictment, Lamb was accused of reckless nursing home abuse and neglect of an adult, and charged her with holding Thomas up by her neck and raising her legs to a height that caused personal injury and pain when she changed her adult diapers for incontinence.
The state attorney general’s office prosecuted the case, and the plea agreement called for Lamb to receive a 12 month sentence in jail. This sentence would be reportedly diverted for two years, provided that Lamb perform 50 hours of community service, not commit any other criminal violations, be drug-free, and cooperate with all other investigations of Madison Manor, as the nursing home abuse investigation is still ongoing. As part of the community service sentence, Lamb is not eligible to work with children, adults who are vulnerable, or any program that involves funding from Medicare or Medicaid.
Jaclyn Dawn Vanwinkle, one of the other former employees, received a similar sentence after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges. VanWinkle was later also indicted on rape and sodomy charges, and was accused of having sex with a 15-year old boy. The third defendant in the Madison Manor abuse case is Amanda Sallee, who was accused of neglecting and abusing Thomas by withholding food from her for five days, and eating the meals herself.
According to the Richmond Register, wanton nursing home abuse and neglect of an adult is a Class D felony, and if convicted, the defendant could receive up to five years in prison. Reckless nursing home abuse or neglect is reportedly a Class A misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to a year in jail.
If you suspect that a resident or loved one in a nursing facility is being neglected or abused in the Maryland or Washington D.C. area, chances are that other residents are also being treated poorly and suffering. You should speak with an experienced nursing home abuse and negligence attorney who can advise you on what actions to take. Contact Lebowitz and Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers today, for a free consultation.
Lamb Pleads Guilty to Nursing Home Abuse, Gets Diversion, The Richmond Register, January 12, 2010
Madison Nurse’s Aide Pleads Guilty to Abuse, Lexington Herald-Leader, January 12, 2010
Related Web Resources:
National Center on Elder Abuse, (NCEA)