If we need more evidence that Indiana’s nursing home industry provides some of the worst care in the United States, we have it. According to news reports, a 44 year-old Joyce Curtis of Dale, Indiana has been charged with sexual battery, battery with injury, and intimidation arising her employment as a certified nursing aide at Providence Home Health Care in Jasper, Indiana. These are Class D felonies. This instance of Indiana nursing home abuse is disturbing for many reasons. According to reports, these criminal charges stem from acts which took place on May 25, 2014. The charges are based upon allegations that while an employee of this nursing home, Ms. Curtis performed sexual acts with a patient, and then threatened the patient if he told anyone about it. The Court documents also state that this nursing home employee performed “lewd acts” in front of fellow employees. According to the report, the victim stated he was hurt while he was restrained. The facility has since changed its name and is now called Cathedral Health Care Center.
It gets worse. It appears that at least 6 other employees of this nursing home have at some point been arrested on abuse and neglect charges as well. We reported on prior arrests back in 2013 involving battery and neglect of a dementia patient. And, our research shows that this nursing home was in fact cited by the Indiana State Department of Health for a litany of violations on February 20, 2014 — just several months before the incident allegedly involving Ms. Curtis. We obtained a copy of the report of the investigation from February, 2014, which includes 63 pages of violations that involve significant quality of care problems that put patients at risk for pressure sores, infections, abuse, neglect and death. Included among the many violations was a finding that on multiple occasions the facility failed to ensure allegations of abuse were immediately reported to the Indiana State Department of Health. The extent and nature of these problems are evidence of a systemic problem with the management and operation of this nursing home. Nursing homes should have adequate systems and quality assurance measures in place to ensure the safety of their patients against the type of abuse and neglect allegedly involved with this nursing home.
This is the Jasper nursing home previously called Providence Home Health Care Center.
According to the Indiana Secretary of State’s website, the facility was operated at the time of the alleged acts by an entity called “Sons of Devine Province.” According to the Indiana Secretary of State’s records, the “President” of “Sons of Devine Province” is “Father Angelo Quadrini.” The nursing home’s website also listed Father Angelo Quadrini as the “CEO” of this “non-profit” entity. Of note, the tag-line used by this nursing home on its website is “Caring professionals helping to heal body, mind, and spirit.”
What you can do
Nursing home abuse and neglect can take many forms. It is important that all families with loved ones in Indiana nursing homes learn how to recognize the signs of nursing home neglect and abuse. If you believe a loved one may have been the victim of nursing home neglect, you should not hesitate to have the matter investigated by filing a complaint. You can find more information about filing a nursing home complaint here. We provide free assistance to anyone who needs help filing a nursing home complaint. Just call us.