Massachusetts Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit Pending Against Brockton Nursing Home Assistant Convicted of Assault and Battery of a 93-Year-Old Patient

In Brockton Superior Court, Judge Carroll Ball sentenced former Massachusetts nursing home assistant Steven Laroche to a two-year suspended jail sentence for sexually assaulting an elderly person. Laroche had pleaded guilty to the charges of assault and battery.

He was indicted nearly a year ago after another St. Joseph’s Manor Nursing Home assistant reported witnessing him sexually assault a 93-year-old male resident. The patient, who had been diagnosed with dementia and Parkinson’s, is now deceased.

As part of Laroche’s sentencing, he is required to register as a Massachusetts sexual offender and wear an electronic monitoring bracelet. He is not allowed to work as a caregiver for the duration of his probation.

Six months after the assault incident occurred at the nursing home, the victim’s family filed a Massachusetts nursing home abuse lawsuit, which is still pending.

St. Joseph’s Manor Nursing Home, however, claims that it did not break procedures and protocol when performing a background check before hiring Laroche. The state fined the Massachusetts nursing home for failing to report the assault incident to a social worker, the doctor, or the elderly resident’s family. A CNA at the nursing home who reported the attack to the state was fired.

The nursing home administrator says new processes were implemented to address the problems.

Examples of physical abuse by US nursing home workers:

• Rape • Molestation • Hitting, pushing, slapping, shaking, or pinching a patient • Inflicting burn injuries • Physically forcing a patient to eat

Nursing homes are supposed to make sure that they take the necessary steps to prevent any kind of abuse from happening. Failure or negligence to do so can be grounds for a Massachusetts nursing home abuse lawsuit.

Brockton nurse convicted of sexually assaulting patient, Boston Herald, February 2, 2009
Civil case still pending in Brockton nursing home assault, Wicked Local, February 4, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Nursing Homes in Massachusetts

Nursing Homes, Medicare.gov