The abuse of an elderly nursing home resident came to light when a former employee saw a video on Facebook, recorded it and showed it to the victim’s family, a lawsuit claims.
The abuse of an elderly nursing home resident came to light when a former employee saw a video on Facebook, recorded it and showed it to the victim’s family, a lawsuit claims.
The victim’s family immediately contacted the facility and is now taking legal action. The video is short but shocking. It shows staff members at a south suburban nursing home taunting a 76-year old man named Reggie—who suffers from dementia. The alleged abuse happened in July at Holland Home in South Holland.
Attorney Margaret Battersby Black represents the victim and his daughter who filed a lawsuit naming holland home and four care givers for violating the nursing home care act.
"Our client was essentially taunted and bullied by, we believe six caregivers of the facility, in a demoralizing, disgusting and demeaning way," Battersby Black said.
According to the suit, the defendants “maliciously abused Reggie through their remorseless taunts, mockery and lewd suggestions for the purpose of coercing Reggie into taking his pants off and exposing his genitals.”
The suit alleges that the “defendants publicly broadcasted their exploitations of Reggie via Facebook Live so the whole world could laugh at him, just as they did.”
The victim had been living at Holland Home for about eight months. It’s not clear whether there were other instances of abuse.
"I can tell you in my experience if this is happening in one room in this nursing home, it’s happening in others," Battersby Black said.
Holland Home did not return NBC 5's call seeking comment for this story.
It’s not clear whether South Holland police will conduct a criminal investigation.
