Was My Mom Abused?

Posted on 07/19/2013 by Trish Vradenburg

On July 2, USA Today reported that more than 20 former employees of a Georgia Alzheimer’s care center are facing dozens of criminal charges after a three-month state investigation uncovered allegations of cruel treatments of patients.

The cruelty ranged from physical abuse – slapping patients and throwing water on them – to outright neglect and financial exploitation. Other abuse included shackling patients to their beds with sheets and ‘double diapering’ so the staff wouldn't have to change soiled diapers so often.

As it turns out, various staff members had prior felony convictions that included voluntary manslaughter and identity theft.

So what does this have to do with my mother?

My mom was a dynamo. Yet, as soon as she was moved to a nursing home, my mom – this firecracker of a woman – became docile and acquiescent. At first I was confounded, but then I realized that she instinctively knew that she should not make waves if she wanted to be treated well. But there were two incidents that shook me to my core.

It seemed to be just an ordinary day. My mom was sitting in a chair in her room and I was singing to her. An orderly came in to gather trash. When my mom saw him, she started to whimper and put her hands across her breasts as though she were trying to protect them. The man quickly exited as I assured her she was fine, that she was safe…but was she?

Learn more:  http://blog.aarp.org/2013/07/19/was-my-mom-abused/