[nursinghumor]

Thursday, February 10, 2005: Sex offender, 68 years old, charged in nursing home rape:"A 68-year-old Level 3 sex offender allegedly raped a fellow resident at a Norwood nursing home, sparking a state review to determine if Emerald Court Health & Rehabilitation Center should be held responsible in the attack.
John A. Enos, 68, was arrested Monday night at the nursing home and ordered held on $10,000 cash bail at his arraignment Tuesday in Dedham District Court. He is accused of raping an older male resident, police said. Enos' attorney, Damon Borrelli of Needham, was not available for comment.
http://news.bostonherald.com/localRe...rticleid=67847

They should absolutely be held responsible for failing to provide a safe environment by admitting this monster.

It's too late to help this innocent victim. How many more nursing home patients will need to get raped, murdered and assaulted before something is done about sex offenders being admitted to Nursing Homes side by side with our parents and loved ones?

This is an absolute disgrace.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com

[rnsince83]

I am sick, but not half as much as I am angry. I guess it might come down to screening applicants--if they have a record, then they can go to a "special facility." Wouldn't you LOVE to work there? This is just a microcosm of what's going on in society--a general moral decline.

[1mg.epi]

First: Did the home know this person was a sex offender.

It would be like you have a person admitted to your floor. 2 in the AM he is found raping a patient in an other room. Is the hospital responsible. If so are the patients going to be issued house arrest bracelets as name bands so we know when the leave the room. What could have staff done to prevent this.

[nursinghumor]

When he was intially admitted, no. It only came to light that he was a "level three" sex offender, when he applied for medicaid to help pay his nursing home bills.

At that point, a major red flag should have been raised. Instead, he was allowed to stay at the facility till the incident.

Now, after the fact, court orders are being sought to have him evicted. It is too little, too late as far as I'm concerned.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com

[cassioo]

I just delivered a girl yesterday and the father of baby had just (9 months earlier) gotten out of prison for child molesting so in a couple of days this newborn goes home to that house (Mom already doesn't have custody of her 2 year old)...mom when she was in labor did call him some choice names and threaten to cut it off.

[4N6nurse]

Wait a minute guys...the question is...Is the facility responsible for knowing this guys legal history? As an ED nurse I know we at times find a placement for a patient at say...2300 at night at some local facility. I am pretty sure that NONE of these patients are screened for sex offender priors.
I have taken care of victims of sexual assault from nursing homes and unfortunately this happens all too often...usually the offender is a FAMILY MEMBER of a resident...easy access...who would believe an 83 yo alzheimers patient? The perfect victim.

[nursinghumor]

That is the heart of the problem. There are no laws in place right now to require notification of a nursing home or healthcare facility that a person is a sex offender.

It is shocking considering the vulnerable nature of people in the facilities.

What there are laws for, is to provide a safe environment for residents. Even if they did not know a person was a sex offender, it doesn't relieve them of the duty to keep patient's safe.

So great, they can be sued afterwards, but that doesn't help the victim in the first place.

Legislation needs to be put in place and relatively soon before there are large numbers of offenders in facilities all over the country. The latest figure I read this week was 400 convicted sex offenders in nursing homes around the US right now.

There are a lot more of them out there and time is not on our side.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com