Man able to Enter Ohio Nursing Home, Assault Employee

A man allegedly broke into a Steubenville, Ohio nursing home (Jefferson County) on December 4, 2016, and assaulted one of the nursing home’s employees, reported WTOV, a local NBC affiliate. The alleged assault occurred in the early morning hours at the Villa Vista Nursing Home on Sinclair Avenue.

An image of the Villa vista nursing home from the Lancian Nursing Homes Website, http://www.lancianursinghomes.com/

A warrant was issued for the man, Eddie Dameron’s, arrest.

Jessica Haberley (@JHaberleyWTOV9) of the same station later reported the man had been arrested and appeared in court based on the allegation he body slammed the female employee. See a video of her reporting on his court appearance:

The Herald-Star reported the man assaulted a former girlfriend, providing more details to the alleged assault:

Police reported Dameron gained entry through the front doors of the nursing home around 2:30 a.m. and approached the former girlfriend, who was in the lobby area. The former girlfriend told Dameron he wasn’t allowed in the building, police reported. Dameron appeared to be under the influence, the woman said. Dameron yelled at her, grabbed her by the arms and then picked her up and slammed her to the floor, police reported.
Dameron, who had fallen on the woman, was pulled off by other employees and told to leave, an officer said. Dameron fled the area in a vehicle, police reported.

Although this assault seems to be motivated by a personal connection the man had with the employee, the question it raises for me is whether this Ohio nursing home has adequate security. How can a stranger simply walk into a nursing home at 2:30 in the morning? Are the doors locked, with controlled access? Is there any security to prevent this type of incident?

I travel to various Ohio nursing homes regularly, to meet with potential clients, inspect nursing homes as part of a nursing home neglect or abuse lawsuit, or conduct interviews of staff under oath (called a “deposition”) as part of a lawsuit or lawsuit investigation. I’m often surprised by how easy it is to simply walk in, without anyone checking to make sure I should be there.

I understand the desire to have a “open” feeling to a nursing home, rehabilitation center, or long term care community. It feels more like home.

I imagine for lots of nursing homes, it means less money on staff to watch the doors or check people in. The problem is that it makes the facility—full of vulnerable people—much less safe.

This is true for people coming in, and residents going out.

When a nursing home resident has memory or other cognitive issues that make them prone to wandering out of the facility when it is unsafe (called “elopement”), their lives are in danger when there is not adequate protection.

Protection from elopement can include secure units (so dementia residents cannot leave their unit without supervision), alarms that sound when residents at risk for elopement leave a unit or the building (often triggered through a bracelet or similar device the resident wears).

The most important protection is adequate staffing—enough staff, with enough training and experience, who aren’t so busy they cannot provide adequate help—to keep an eye on residents and the doors.

When at-risk residents wander inside the facility, they can be injured by things like falling down stairs, ingesting deadly chemicals, or other injuries like burns.

Outside the facility can be even more dangerous. Nursing home residents who have eloped are exposed to the elements—heat, cold, rain, snow, ice—putting them at risk of severe injuries or death from dehydration, starvation, broken bones or head trauma, freezing to death, or becoming overheated.

Depending on the nursing home location, elopement can expose a resident to deadly traffic (wandering into a road or parking lot and being hit by a car or truck), falls, even robbery or assault.

I don’t know if this nursing home is going to look at this as an isolated, one-off incident, or take the opportunity to re-evaluate their security for residents and staff. I hope they take the time.

We do not know all the details of how this man got into the facility—allegedly intoxicated, no less—but if anyone can wander into this nursing home at 2:30 am to hurt someone, that means no one there—residents or staff—is safe.

What do you think? Have you had concerns about nursing home security, whether people coming in, or residents leaving when it is not safe? Share your thoughts below! We always respond to comments.