Nursing Home Fined, Employee Fired For Patient Abuse

An Etowah nursing home is fined and no new patients are allowed to be admitted after a case of abuse that we first reported three weeks ago was investigated by state authorities.

The administrator of the Etowah Health Care Center, Harland Bicking, said Wednesday the story surrounds certified nursing assistant Joyce Stanley. She's also been charged by police with willful and physical abuse.

According to the Tennessee Department of Health their investigation shows Stanley abused a blind patient who was under her care.

"A resident was hit with a clipboard and incontinence pad and the information was reported to the senior person on duty where there was a delay in investigating the matter," Andrea Turner of the Department of Health said.

Turner adds the patient was also slapped and had her hair pulled.

Bicking said when he learned of the incident "I was very upset with this, I immediately told the director of nursing we have got to take that employee and suspend the employee so we can do an investigation."

Bicking said Stanley has now been fired.

Since the nursing home gets federal funding for Medicare, Medicaid and VA Patients federal authorities are part of the investigation.

Tennessee's Department of Health has fined the nursing home $1,500 and ordered them to complete a plan of correction while not permitting any new patients. The nursing home also faces civil fines that are stacking up by $3,500 a day since October 18th.

"Based on the investigation and the report it has been determined that conditions at the facility either are, or are likely to be, detrimental to the health safety and welfare of residents at the facility," Turner said.

Bicking says all issues have been addressed and the nursing home is safe.

As for the patient in question, Bicking said "she is OK at this point, there was no physical harm, no bruises and she tools around the building as she is blind and just as happy as she can be right now."

Bicking declined to say what corrective measures were taken against other employees who the state says didn't immediately report the abuse. he said that was outlined in his response to the Department of Health.

Joyce Stanley is due in court on the abuse charges January 8 in McMinn County Sessions Court.