Solidago Health and Rehabilitation, a Texas City, Texas nursing home, is in the news over allegations that staff members assaulted an 87-year-old patient named Cornelio Salinas.
According to family members, Cornelio had previously told him that he’d suffered abuse at the facility. That’s why they installed a Ring camera in his room. They even posted a sign at the door notifying everyone that there was video surveillance inside.
When the family recently was notified that Cornelio was on the way to the hospital because of a fall, they accessed the Ring video and were shocked at what they saw. The video shows Cornelio on the floor and two individuals pushing, kicking, and dragging him. According to the family, those two individuals are employees of the nursing home.
In the video, the two individuals are seen dragging Cornelio back into the bed and pulling the privacy curtain closed. The two people are behind the curtain with him for another 15 or 20 minutes, before Cornelio ends up on the floor again.
At the hospital, Cornelio’s family saw bruises around his eyes and that he was in a neck brace. Texas City authorities are investigating the incident.
The regulatory agency over nursing homes and elder abuse is the Texas Health and Human Services (HHS). According to HHS, abuse, neglect, and exploitation in long-term care includes the willful infliction of injury, unreasonable confinement, intimidation, or punishment with resulting physical harm, pain, or mental anguish.
The signs and symptoms of elder abuse are sometimes overlooked because they can be confused with frailty, mental deterioration, or other medical conditions. Families should look out for signs of:
• Physical abuse: Unexplained injuries, broken bones, medication issues, or staff refusing to allow visitor access.
• Emotional abuse: Odd behavior or excessive control by the caregiver.
• Sexual abuse: Bruises, bleeding, or sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs).
• Neglect: Weight loss, pressure or bedsores, unkempt appearance, or unsanitary conditions.
• Exploitation: Sudden changes in financial condition or missing property.
Texas law requires facility owners and employees who believe that a long-term care patient/resident has been or may be adversely affected by abuse, neglect, or exploitation to report it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always happen.
That’s why I commend Cornelio’s family for taking preventative action by installing a video camera and posting a sign. The fact that this abuse still occurred under with a video camera recording it is just mind-blowing.
If you’ve been seriously injured because of poor care at a Texas nursing home or long-term care facility then contact a top-rated, experienced Texas medical malpractice lawyer for a free consultation about your potential case.
