Texas Veterans News: State veterans homes accused of abuse; caregivers indicted
Amarillo, TX (News)- Many veterans at Texas’ state-run veterans homes have served several years across seas and endured harsh wars, but for some, the battle has just begun. The brochure for The Veterans Land Board boasts its seven state-owned veterans homes are, “Where Honor Lives.” But what has happened to some the veterans who reside there is anything but honorable . Amy K. Witherite of the law offices of Eberstein and Witherite, Texas’s top veteran abuse and nursing home neglect attorneys, report two former nursing home aides have been accused of injuring two residents, which has exposed the abusive practices of the homes, as reported by the Dallas Morning News.
Late last week, Bryson O’Neil Vanderbilt, 25, of Big Spring and Connie Mae Johnson, 52, of Andrews were indicted by a grand jury on allegations that they injured two elderly men in 2007, who lived at the Lamun-Lusk-Shanchez home in Big Spring. The duo is charged with felonies related to two separate incidents at the Alzheimer’s Unit of the veterans home.
In one of the incidents, a 97-year-old man who was also living in the Alzheimer’s Unit, was allegedly ripped from his wheelchair and thrown onto his bed. Later on that night, he was subsequently taken to the hospital after he complained of hip pain. Vanderbilt was ultimately accused of striking, pushing or forcefully handling the veteran. Johnson was also accused of striking, choking, pushing, or otherwise forcefully handing another man.
Both of the caretakers have since been fired from their jobs and are facing up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if they are convicted of the second degree felony.
The Dallas Morning News dug further into the incidents and found more disturbing information regarding the homes. Both the Big Spring and Ussery-Roan State Veterans Home in Amarillo received the second-lowest rankings possible from the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Ussery-Roan reportedly has failed to adhere to polices to prevent neglect, which left patients in “immediate jeopardy;” including other problems that have been funded by the Department of Aging and Disability Services.
Texan’s top choice for nursing home and elder abuse attorneys, Amy K. Witherite, states “Our country’s brave and honorable veterans deserve to live the rest of their lives in peace, without being mistreated by the people they fought to protect overseas and in our homeland.” Contacting a trustworthy lawyer who is experienced in litigating nursing home neglect and veteran abuse claims can help your recover the damages that you deserve.
Texas news by Dallas veteran abuse and nursing home neglect attorney: Amy K. Witherite.
3100 Monticello, Suite 500, Dallas, Texas 75205
Phone: (214) 378-6665
