Video Evidence of Nursing Home Abuse Prompts Kansas Representative to Act

Last year, shocking footage of a registered nurse abusing an elderly patient emerged from a news station in Kansas. Now, state legislators are pushing for a bill that would require national background checks for nursing home employees as a result of the video.

If your loved one was abused or neglected in a nursing home contact the qualified Milwaukee nursing home abuse attorneys today.

In the video on the KAKE News website, 60-year-old Donna Colcher is thrown from her wheelchair onto the ground by a nursing home attendant, who then turns the lights off on the woman while she lays on the floor calling for help. The video shows that 25 minutes later, the caretaker, a registered nurse, returns and turns the light back on briefly before turning it off again. Colcher is left in the dark a second time.

Colchers family brought the devastating footage to KAKE News hoping something could be done about the injustice and abuse their loved one suffered. In May, the news station showed the footage to Representative Brandon Whipple, and he decided action needed to be taken. According to KAKE News, Rep. Whipple is now one of the legislators who has drafted a bill to address several common problems found within the nursing home system.

The new bill was introduced last week. It calls for the hiring of additional nurses and caretakers at nursing home facilities, national background checks for all employees, and stricter punishment for those who operate homes where abuse or neglect occurs.

Whipple says the bill is bare bones at the moment, but he notes that his priority was to initiate some improvements to existing legislation as soon as possible.

Nursing home abuse can impact patients and their families in many ways. Some victims may never reveal the fact that they are being harmed, which makes detection of abuse or neglect even more critical.

If you suspect abuse or neglect of your loved one, contact a Milwaukee injury attorney from Pitman, Kalkhoff, Sicula & Dentice for a free consultation. As Wisconsin’s largest nursing home abuse law firm, we have the experience you need in your corner today. There is no obligation, and your information is always confidential.

Fill out our free case evaluation form or call 414-333-3333 to begin today.