Assisted living facility staff encouraged patients to fight, police say
Three former employees of a North Carolina assisted living facility were arrested in early October after police and state health officials say they encouraged residents to fight each other.
Marilyn Latish McKey, 32, Tonacia Yvonne Tyson, 20, and Taneshia Deshawn Jordan, 26, were arrested by the Winston-Salem Police Department on charges of assault on an individual with a disability. McKey was arrested on two counts of that charge.
"Investigators learned that certain employees of the Danby House allowed residents to fight with one another, encourage the fighting of the residents and one employee physically assaulted a resident by shoving the resident," the Winston-Salem Police Department said in a statement.
Lt. Eric Montgomery declined to go into specifics of the investigation but said "nobody at the Winston-Salem Police Department" has called the case a "fight club," contrary to some published reports.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services confirmed to USA TODAY that the facility is suspended from admitting new residents until it completes an "unannounced follow-up inspection to ensure that the corrective measures were implemented, and the facility is in compliance with state rules and regulations."
The suspension began in August.
"The Department of Health and Human Services takes any allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation in licensed adult care homes very seriously," the department said in a statement.
A lengthy "Statement of Deficiencies and Plan of Correction" from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services' Division of Health Service Regulation details one incident where two patients with dementia, identified as "Resident #8" and "Resident #9" were encouraged to fight by three staff members at the Danby House.
"Resident #8" was "strangled with her face turning red" according to the DHSR's report. A video of the incident was reviewed, and the faces of two Danby House staff members could be seen. A third staff member's voice could be heard.
The two residents fought while no one intervened, but "from the video, all three staff could be heard talking, laughing and commenting as Resident #9 and Resident #8 were fighting," according to the DHSR.
Other incidents were detailed in the report include: A staff member pushed a resident into a room, turned off the light and yelled at the resident to go to sleep. Another resident was left on the floor while staff recorded a video and shared it via social media.
The Division of Health Service Regulation found several other violations during its investigation, which took place from July 24-26.
A spokesperson for Danby House said the facility "has undergone leadership changes in recent months" and added there is a "zero-tolerance policy for the mistreatment of those in our care."
The spokesperson added McKey, Tyson and Jordan were all fired in June when community management was first made aware of the situation. Police began investigating June 19, Montgomery said.
"Administrators have been working closely with the Winston-Salem Police Department throughout its investigation to ensure justice is served," Danby House said in a statement. "Additional staff training and a more rigorous vetting process for all new and existing employees at Danby House has been implemented."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Assisted living staff let patients fight in North Carolina: police
