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Cantonment Woman Acquitted On Elder Abuse Charges
October 23, 2010
A Cantonment woman has been found not guilty on charges that she abused two elderly patients under her care.
Crystal Dawn Watts, now 29, was acquitted after a six-member Escambia County jury deliberated about an hour. She was accused of using a pillow to cover the face of an 86-year old patient in her care for approximately 30 seconds, which left the patient gasping for breath. On the same day, Watts pushed an 87-year old patient in her care at the Homestead Village Retirement Center multiple times, causing the patient to bruise, according to the Florida Attorney General’s Office said. She was fired from the facility shortly thereafter.
But Watts contended that the stories were false, created by a coworker jealous over a job promotion at Homestead Village.
If convicted on both counts, Watts would have faced up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Comments
8 Responses to “Cantonment Woman Acquitted On Elder Abuse Charges”
First of all…HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOTHER!!! (Marilyon Knight)
I can speak from experience that most nursing homes are horrible! My mother was in one for 2 years before she passed away on Aug 2, 2010. We checked around thoroughly and thought we had found the better of them in Pensacola (scheduled an appt, toured the facility and all-seemed fabulous!) We constantly had someone stealing her clothes and items we would bring her (candy, drinks,etc). It was ridiculous. I would love to see cameras in every room (positioned where their privacy is not compromised, of course). Had I thought my mother was being physically abused there-I’m sure I would be in jail right now myself. Nursing homes charge you every dime that person has coming to them (total ret, social security, etc). They charge you at least $175 a day for a 12 x 12 room that they share with another patient and the care is minimal at best. My mother was only bathed once or twice a week-no matter how much we complained. They would just lie to us and tell us that they had bathed her this morning or yesterday when it was very apparent this was not true. They would not change her clothes for days. Myself and my siblings kept a very close eye on her and visited several times a week to see my mother in dirty clothes, hair so oily it was stuck to her head, and the smell of soiled diapers. My mother woke up one morning and a little old man was curled up in the bed beside her-she called me immediately and I made a trip down there. I asked “Where were nurses when this man climbed in bed with my mother?’ Of course, there was no good answer to that question (but they placed a note in her chart-wow, that helped). It was not a nice meeting I can promise you! They just swept it under the rug as they do everything that may cause friction-although I made my presence very known that day (and many other days for that matter). We had no choice of placing her in a home when my father passed away as she needed 24 hr care due to alzheimers/dymentia and was wheel chair bound. We all work full-time jobs and have families too. My father-Edward Knight (the GREATEST man in the world) took care of her (until the day he died May 28, 2008- he was 73 yrs old) and still worked a full time job. I’m sure he was not happy with the way my mother was treated in the last 2 years of her life as he done a much better job than the nursing home.
My mother passed away the day after what would have been her and my dads 50th wedding anniversary. Now, they can celebrate everyday together and I have no doubt they do!
Love & Miss you mama and daddy! RIP
Around 1998 President Clinton signed a change in Medicare guidelines. Now the patients who qualify for home health can only receive CNA’s for approx three weeks. They expect the family to provide, or hire someone to take care of their elderly family members. I agree her career is pretty much ruined.
The cameras are a double edged sword. You want to protect your loved ones, but you also want to protect their privacy. We don’t have cameras in hospitals rooms for that very reason. The only way to protect your loved ones in a nursing home is the be there DAILY. The ones in nursing homes that are abused are the ones that are put there and forgotten. Sad, but true. There are so many elderly that never have visitors. The only interaction they have are with the other residents and with the nursing and CNA staff. CNA’s certainly aren’t there for the money because they don’t get paid squat. The nursing staff are so overwhelmed that they treat the CNA’s like crap and then the CNA’s treat the residents like crap…it’s a downspiraling cycle. You love grandma and grandpa? Get home health to come and take care them. It’s covered under Medicare just as a nursing home is. At least then they’ll have some dignity. Nursing homes are nothing but a step away from institutionalizing elder care.
I am with who ever made the satatement where’s the video? Everyone of these places as far as I’m concerned should be required to have servalince systems in them. As much as it cost for you to put one of your loved ones in one of these places they certainly should be able to afford one. I had a mother in law in one for a long time just in a different state but we got suspicious there was things happening and put a small camera in and found not only some abuse but a whole lot of stealing and neglect. My now deceased mother in law was one of the nicest people you would ever want to meet but had dementia in later days and was taken advantage of. At the time I think we were paying close to 6,500 per month for her to be there and be taken care of. There is no excuse for these kinds of things to happen under some one’s watch.
The camera would also show when someon is innocent of what they were accused of as well. So, it is a double edged sword.
I don’t usually believe in suing, but in these kinds of cases if someone
ruins someone else over something like jealousy than they should be
made to give them at least enough money to go back to school to learn
a new career…….
just my thoughts…….
Acquitted. Not guilty.
Career bruised.
Now what?
All these homes should have video in them. I have a 90 year old in one she has a great mine but is there work against these people.
WOW guess you would have had to of been there……??????