According to news reports, a grand jury has filed new indictments against a former employee of Woodland Hills Care Center in Lawrenceburg, Indiana in connection with the death of a patient of the nursing home.   The former employee was originally charged with battery resulting in the death of an endangered adult, neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury and reckless homicide, before those charges were dropped in late 2014.  According to news reports, prosecutors said the charges were dropped at that time because they weren’t given discovery in a timely manner.

According to news reports, a witness told detectives that the employee violently pulled the patient from a walker, breaking the patient’s vertebra and causing death. Meanwhile,  the employee maintained that they never hurt the patient and said her heart stopped while she was on the toilet, according to news reports.

News reports also indicate the Dearborn County Prosecutor said the employee was fired by the Woodland Hills Care Center, but authorities were never notified of the patient’s death until it was brought up at a Christmas party, where a detective heard of the incident.

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.