Iowa Nursing Home Cited: Failure to Protect Residents From Abuse

Multiple nursing homes in Iowa have recently been fined for failing to protect residents from alleged sexual exploitation and physical abuse.

Living Center West in Cedar Rapids

Earlier this year, management at the Living Center West in Cedar Rapids learned about an alleged relationship involving its activities director and a male resident with dementia. The relationship was initially discovered late February 2024 when the resident wrote to his guardian about it. Then, on May 7, an aide working at the facility came upon the two kissing.

According to an article in the Iowa Dispatch, the guardian wrote to management at Living Center West about it. State inspectors say they found no record that management at the facility made any attempt to investigate the relationship.

Inspectors say the aide claimed to have told a nurse, but that the nurse instructed her to keep quiet about the incident. That same nurse told facility management a different story, however. She told them that she had instructed the aide to report the matter to the home’s director of nursing.

The activities director provided a written statement about the situation to management in early June. Initially she allegedly denied any intimate relationship with the resident, but then later “admitted to the allegations and walked out of the facility.” Her employment was terminated on June 17. A proposed $28,500 fine was assessed against the facility, but that fine was later suspended.

Multiple Iowa Nursing Homes Recently Cited for Abuse

In 2024, these additional Iowa nursing homes and care facilities were also cited for failing to report instances of alleged exploitation and abuse.

Vision Cedar House in Fort Dodge

The facility was fined $5,000 for failing to investigate and report incidents of abuse, including one involving a staff member who allegedly yelled at a resident, before punching him hard enough to leave a red mark on the man’s chest. That same staffer then reportedly took the resident’s walker and threw it to the ground.

Oakview Nursing and Rehabilitation in Marion

A CNA was seen by two certified aides at the facility arguing with one of the male residents. The CNA reportedly told the man his wife was cheating on him and no longer loved him. The resident reacted by striking an aide. The aid punched back, hitting the resident in the shoulder before telling him, “… Next time I’ll give you a black eye and tell everyone I don’t know how it happened.”

The Good Samaritan Home of Holstein

Video footage showed a certified nursing assistant (CNA) forcefully restraining a female resident with dementia. The CNA repeatedly pushed her down into a chair, covered her mouth and engaged in other abusive behaviors.

At least three employees were suspended due to the incident. The state proposed $1,000 fines for resident abuse and failing to report abuse, but the fines were suspended.

Has Your Loved One Been Abused at a Nursing Home? Call PKSD

Far too many incidents of nursing home abuse go unreported. Residents with dementia or other physical or mental illnesses are especially at risk, and they may not be able to communicate what has happened or protect themselves.

If your loved one was abused at a nursing home, contact our knowledgeable nursing home abuse lawyers. PKSD is dedicated to holding these perpetrators financially accountable for the harm they cause. We have decades of experience representing nursing home abuse victims. Currently we accepts cases in Iowa, Wisconsin and New Mexico.

Call us to schedule a free consultation with no upfront costs. 414-333-3333