Nursing Home Residents Should Feel Safe and Be Safe
On Thursday, March 3, 2022, Tiara Lynn Ford, 23 years old, was arrested for raping elderly dementia patients at The Inn at University Village in Massillon, Ohio where she worked as a state-tested nurse's aide.
While there are many state-tested nurse's aides or STNAs working at nursing homes and assisted-living facilities throughout the State of Ohio, and in fact, throughout the country, who are dedicated professionals who are devoted to their residents, unfortunately, there are many who are apathetic and uncaring, and some who are outright criminals.
At The Dickson Firm, we tragically handle many cases involving assault, including sexual assault, of vulnerable elderly nursing home residents.
The founder of The Dickson Firm, Blake Dickson, is and has been for many years extremely involved with the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center as well as other rape crisis centers throughout the State of Ohio. Every year he is involved with fund-raising efforts to support the wonderful work that the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center does helping survivors of sexual assault.
The Dickson Firm represents survivors of sexual assault, both those assaulted in nursing homes as well as those assaulted in other contexts. Often, nursing home residents are admitted to a nursing home involuntarily. Their condition is such that they require around-the-clock care. Often, their families are not able to provide them the care that they need. Someone is not able to be home with them all day every day. They are not able to keep them safe, and as a result, it is necessary to admit them to a nursing home.
A resident's room at the nursing home is their home. Nursing homes have a legal obligation to keep their residents safe. There is a body of law, a part of the Ohio Revised Code, known as the Ohio Nursing Home Residents Bill of Rights. One of the rights of every nursing home resident in Ohio is the right to a safe environment. Nursing Homes are obligated to provide their residents with a safe environment. Nursing home residents are also entitled to be treated at all times with courtesy, respect and dignity. There are also federal regulations that apply to the care of nursing home residents in a nursing home. Under the federal regulations, nursing homes are obligated to provide their residents with adequate supervision to prevent accidents. Both the State of Ohio legislature and the federal legislature have passed laws designed specifically to protect nursing home residents and ensure that they receive proper care. Nursing homes are obligated to adhere to these laws. Nursing Homes are also obligated to conduct background checks on their employees. An employee who has any history of abusing residents is not permitted to work in a nursing home.
The Dickson Firm has handled multiple cases in which residents have been abused and neglected and even assaulted by the staff at various nursing homes. The Dickson Firm has handled cases where staff has gone to prison because of their conduct at the nursing home.
The Dickson Firm is very proud of the passage of Esther's Law, which was named for Esther Piskor, a nursing home resident who the attorneys and staff at The Dickson Firm were very proud to represent and stand up for.
No nursing home resident should be ever abused or neglected.
Certainly, no nursing home resident should ever be assaulted.
Nursing home residents should feel safe in their home in the nursing home.
If someone you love has been abused or neglected in a nursing home or an assisted living facility, call The Dickson Firm and ask to speak with one of our attorneys. We would be happy to help you in any way that we can.