Police investigating after Alzheimer’s patient injured at assisted living facility

An 84-year-old Alzheimer's  patient was injured at an assisted living facility in Roswell, Channel 2 reported.

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

An 84-year-old Alzheimer's patient was injured at an assisted living facility in Roswell, Channel 2 reported.

The daughters of an 84-year-old Alzheimer’s patient say a Roswell assisted living facility is at fault for a deep gash in their mother’s leg that required about 20 stitches and a trip to the emergency room.

The women told Channel 2 Action News that Brookdale Chambrel senior living facility employees swung their mother to the side of a bed, causing the injury.

The family called Roswell police to investigate and say they hope someone is held accountable. Roswell police spokesman Sean Thompson confirmed to AJC.com an investigation is ongoing.

“The EMTs, the police, everyone said there had to have been some force for it to be that deep,” Derek Hays, an attorney for the family, told Channel 2

One of the two daughters, who asked to remain anonymous because they fear retaliation against their mother, quoted her mother’s account of the incident to the news station: “They just picked me up and swung me around like a rag doll and swung me into the side of the bed.”

The daughters said the woman, who moved into the facility during the spring, was injured earlier this year while employees were putting her into a bed. They decided to believe those workers who said at the time it was an accident, according to Channel 2.

Officials at the facility told Channel 2 they have high standards for their employees and their care for residents, and do not tolerate inappropriate behavior.

“We take claims like this very seriously as the trust of our residents and families is extremely important to us. The associates caring for her immediately reported what happened and, after an internal investigation, we did not find any reason to believe this situation was anything more than an accident caused by metal slates on the bed,” a statement from the facility said.

SPECIAL REPORT: At ajc.com/unprotected, you will find a searchable database with detailed information about assisted living communities and large personal care homes in Georgia. The AJC flagged homes with a pattern of serious problems.

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