Attorney General’s Office Unveils Nursing Home Abuse Cover-Up

According to the New York State Attorney General’s Office, Dawn Weaver, a Licensed Practical Nurse, pleaded guilty to endangering a nursing home resident and falsifying business records.

These charges pertain to an incident on February 23, 2014, when a 93-year-old Wayne County Nursing Home resident fell while being transferred to the bathroom by a nurse aide. The supervising aide, Weaver, failed to follow nursing home protocol when she neglected to have the resident examined by a registered nurse before she was moved. Furthermore, Weaver failed to use a mechanical lift to remove the resident off of the ground, and subsequently failed to report the incident in the facility’s medical records.

Weaver then signed a facility report stating that the aforementioned event did not occur. More disturbingly, Weaver added that had the event occurred, she would have addressed it. However, when questioned by the Attorney General’s Office, Weaver admitted that the resident fell and that she and the aide manually picked up the resident without telling anyone about the fall.

Weaver was sentenced to a 1 year conditional discharge on the condition that she completes the SEAM (Stop Elder Abuse and Mistreatment) program. SEAM, an alternative to incarceration, is a 12-16 week intensive program designed for people who commit crimes against the elderly. If Weaver fails out of SEAM, she will serve 30 days in jail.

If you suspect that you or your elderly loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, you should not hesitate to contact a skilled New York elder law attorney. For more information, contact Tanya Hobson-Williams P.C. for the quality representation that you deserve.

Author: Tanya Hobson-Williams

Appointed to the bench by the Board of Trustees in 2008, and elected in 2009, Tanya Hobson-Williams was the first African-American Female Justice in the Incorporated Village of Hempstead. Tanya Hobson–Williams obtained her B.A. in Government and Politics from St. John's University and her law degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Tanya Hobson-Williams has an active elder law practice assisting senior citizens in obtaining Medicaid for Home Care and Nursing Home Care. She routinely lectures at senior citizen centers, assisted living facilities, law schools and counsels families on a variety of topics of concerns to families caring for the elderly. View all posts by Tanya Hobson-Williams

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