Police arrests 5 suspected of abusing elderly at nursing home
An undercover investigation into abuse at a Haifa nursing home uncovers widespread instances of physical abuse, humiliation and threats against the elderly by employees; public outcry over the story calls for justice and measures to protect residents.
The Israel Police on Sunday arrested five nursing home employees who were captured on hidden camera abusing the elderly residents of the home.
A police statement identified the five suspects as being residents of Haifa, Nazareth and Kiryat Yam. They are being held under suspicion of abuse, assault and threatening behavior.
As part of an investigative series for Yedioth Ahronoth, journalist Ariela Sternbach documented severe instances of violence, abuse and humiliation at nursing homes. The articles caused a major uproar and has led to a crisis in the nursing care industry.
Pictures and video of the abuse at Haifa's Naiot Kipat Hazahav nursing home were also broadcast Saturday night on a special report detailing the horrible conditions elderly patients at the institution have endured.
Video documented employees beating elderly residents, forcefully throwing them into their beds or wheelchairs, tying them to their beds at night, not changing diapers, drinking on the job and threatening more violence against residents who dared tell of what was happening to them.
The whistle blowing male nurse who broke the story to a private detective detailed horrible instances of institutional abuse such as waking residents up at 2am in order to change their clothes and place them in wheelchairs ready for breakfast, just so the employees could leave sooner. Residents would be confined to their wheelchairs for hours on end until after breakfast.
The sensationally disturbing footage has prompted many to act, including government officials.
MK Itzik Shmuli (Zionist Union) is in the process of proposing legislation requiring video cameras to be placed in all nursing homes for the protection of the residents therein.
The cameras are meant to be active at all hours, including at night, so authorities can have easy access to evidence in the event of a complaint.
"The elderly and sick residents of these nursing homes have become punching bags enduring violence and humiliation," MK Shmuli said. "We will expand protection for the elderly and we must monitor their wellbeing in real time, so that we may also prosecute those who abuse them."
Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan joined the chorus, saying, "The investigative report uncovered horrible and heartbreaking images. I personally promise and will see to it that the police bring everyone responsible for these crimes to swift justice. There is no crime as cruel as abusing a defenseless person."
The Ministry of Health, which oversees the operation of nursing homes, has promised to launch a full investigation into the nursing home in question and devote additional resources to the monitoring of other institutions in the country.
The Naiot Kipat Hazahav nursing home summoned all of its employees to a meeting on Sunday morning to stress the severity of the incidents documented and the importance of adhering to the strict work procedures.
The nursing home said in a statement Sunday that "The findings presented in the report were harsh and terrible. When we received the material on Thursday, we immediately filed a complaint with the police against the employees in question. Disciplinary action was also taken, including summoning them for a hearing.
"We do not intend to ignore this, which is why we've formed an inquiry team to ensure cases like this will not happen again in the future. In addition, we've asked the Health Ministry to conduct its own independent inquiry to ensure such cases do not repeat.
"As such, we received the Health Ministry's approval to install cameras throughout the nursing home, including in the rooms. We will begin installing cameras this week and set up a control room using the most advanced technology. As per the instructions of the Health Ministry, cameras will be installed in rooms only with the approval of the resident's family."
Attorney Shosh Hayon, who is representing one of the suspects under arrest, said her client, the head nurse, "takes care of her patients in the most dedicated way. She denies any allegations of abuse and she was not involved in any way. They received reports of abuse days before and she made a complaint with the police."
Hayon's client, who is suspected of not reporting abuse, was put on a one-week house arrest. The presiding judge said there is reasonable suspicion against the nurse and barred her from using any communication devices and making any attempt to contact others involved in the case. Furthermore, she was also barred of being within 500 meters of a nursing home for two weeks.
The Haifa Magistrate's Court also extended by two days the remand of four of the employees suspected of abusing the elderly residents—Sergey Mitrokhin, Peter Guskov, Andrey Kis and Hussam Abu Ahmad.
Guskov's lawyer, Lior Bar-Zohar of the Public Defense, said that "the woman (his client) allegedly attacked... resisted to the treatment, which is why he used 'reasonable force.'"
