The Minnesota Department of Health has completed its investigation of neglect concerns at White Pine, an assisted-living facility in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota.
The MDH investigated concerns about the facility’s lack of supervision when one two residents of the facility were found with their pants down. One resident reported being sexually assaulted by the other resident.
The MDH found that neglect did occur when the facility failed to provide two residents with supervision to ensure safety. Previous incidents had been observed with these two residents, and the resident reporting the sexual assault had previously expressed fear of the other resident.
Both residents had dementia and a history of wandering behaviors at the facility. Both lived on the same floor of the facility five apartments apart and received services from the facility for activities of daily living, supervision, meals, and medication administration. The assaulted resident did not recognize or protect self against potentially abusive and/or harmful situations and safety checks were required every two hours. The other resident required safety checks every two hours and behavior monitoring that day, which included documented interventions attempted, and effectiveness. The assaulting resident’s care plan also stated that if interventions failed to work to alter behaviors, the resident would be discharged from the facility. The assaulting resident had a history of seeking out the assaulted resident and entering into her room unsupervised.
The MDH determined that Inver Grove Heights White Pine facility is responsible for the assault of its resident. The MDH found that the facility failed to change the level of supervision required for both clients as stated in the care plans when the need arose. Staff were inconsistent and unsure as to what the client’s plan of care stated in relation to how frequent staff should check on the client’s whereabouts. [Case no. HL26132010]
The Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm represents clients in cases involving catastrophic injury caused by nursing homes and other care facilities that fail to provide proper care. If you believe your loved one has been harmed due neglect or abuse in a nursing home or other care facility, take action and contact the Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm online or call us toll-free at (877) 552-2873 to set up a no-cost, no-obligation consultation.
