Nursing Home Theft and Abuse Caught on Tape

Three nursing assistants have been charged with abuse and theft at McKinley Place assisted living facility in Cedarburg.

If you suspect your loved one is being taken advantage of or abused contact the nursing home abuse attorneys in Milwaukee today for a free legal consultation.

The women were caught red-handed on hidden video cameras that friends of one of the residents placed in her room. The friends have powers of attorney for the finances and health care of a resident who moved into McKinley Place in November.

Shortly after she moved in, they began to notice substandard care by the facility, including incorrect timing and dosage of medications, failures to change the woman’s bedding and infrequent offers to help her shower. They also noticed that several gift cards were missing from the woman’s room.

They decided to set up hidden cameras disguised as clocks in her room.

The video footage showed the three nurses going through the woman’s purse and cabinets on multiple occasions. It showed them taking gift cards and cash from her purse and even eating food from her refrigerator.

The woman took the footage to Cedarburg police in January. On Feb. 1, officers interviewed two of the nurses. Sixty-year-old Joan Walton-Wentz denied the allegations until after seeing the video footage, when she also admitted to stealing from other residents. Lafaysha Drew continued to deny any wrongdoing even after seeing the footage.

Walton-Wentz is charged with three felony counts with special facts and one misdemeanor count for intentionally abusing a patient without harm.

Drew and Lugenia Taylor also face one charge of felony theft and one charge of abusing a patient without harm.

Nursing home abuse, whether it is physical, mental or financial, can have a lasting impact on the elderly and their families. If someone you love has suffered in an assisted living facility, do not hesitate to contact PKSD for helping getting the justice and compensation they deserve.

Call 877-877-2228 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form today.