Police are investigating an allegation that an 84-year-old resident of Christian Care Home in Ferguson, Missouri was sexually assaulted during her residency at the nursing home.  According to published reports Colette Green became concerned that her mother had been a victim of sexual abuse while she was bathing her mother at the facility.  Her mother, who is unable to speak or feed herself due to dementia, is not able to defend herself or report what has happened to her.  After becoming convinced that her mother had been sexually assaulted, she had her mother taken to a hospital where doctors performed a rape kit. According to KSDK, documents from the hospital confirm that the injuries her Colette’s mother suffered were in fact caused by a sexual assault.

Nursing Home Residents Are Easy Targets for Rape and Sexual Assault

The Terry Law Firm has handled multiple cases of rape or sexual assault in nursing homes. In virtually every single case we have discovered that vulnerable residents in nursing homes are easy targets for rape and sexual assault and are rarely provided the protection they need by nursing homes or the corporations that own and operate them.  Nursing home residents are often unable to speak, unable to move or get away from their attacker and unable to report when they have been raped. One would think that nursing home companies would do everything in their power to ensure the safety of these vulnerable individual, but unfortunately that is not always the case.  As a St. Louis nursing home abuse lawyer, I have been involved in cases where nursing home companies knew that they had an employee on staff that presented a danger of sexual assault to their residents yet they left that individual on staff. The same is true when a nursing home has a resident in the facility that has demonstrated sexual aggression against other residents.

Signs of Sexual Abuse in Nursing Homes

Even when a resident is unable to tell anyone what has happened to them, there are signs of sexual abuse in nursing home residents. Some common signs of sexual abuse include:

• Fear or strong feelings toward a specific employee
• Depression or crying
• Shame or embarrassment when asked about sexual assault
• An employee that hovers around the resident when family members are present (a form of intimidation)
• Bruising, trauma or sensitivity around the groin or breasts

In this case, Colette Green reportedly became concerned after seeing injuries that led her to believe that her mother had been sexually assaulted. She did the right thing and immediately reported the event and sought medical attention.

What to do if You Suspect a Nursing Home Resident has been Sexually Assaulted

Don’t wait for the nursing home to complete their investigation because more likely than not, they are not going to be as interested in getting to the truth as you are (because the truth may implicate them!). If you believe your loved one has been a victim of sexual assault in a nursing home take immediate action.

• Call the police IMMEDIATELY.
• Make sure all evidence is secured and not destroyed.
• Don’t let sheets or clothes worn during the assault be washed.
• Make sure the room is not cleaned. Make sure resident is not bathed before being examined by a physician.
• Get resident to a hospital as soon as possible.
• Ask police to do an independent investigation and get independent witness statements. Don’t rely on the nursing home to do this because they will try to keep the investigation and witness statements private.
• Call the state agency responsible for monitoring nursing home:
  • In Missouri, call 1-800-392-0210

Christian Care Home History

Christian Care Home currently has an overall 2 star rating according to Medicare which, according to the Medicare definition, means it is a “below average” facility.  Its Health Inspection rating is even worse; it received a 1 star rating which is defined as “much below average”.  You can see its most recent annual survey here and see that it received 14 citations for deficient care which is more than twice that of the average nursing home in Missouri. Over the past three years Christian Care Home has had a whopping 34 complaints result in a citation.

We Can Help

If you are looking for a St. Louis nursing home abuse and neglect lawyer, have a loved one who has suffered abuse or neglect in a nursing home or who has been sexually assaulted in a Missouri nursing home, the Terry Law Firm can help. We have the experience to hold nursing homes accountable for their actions and those of their employees. It is our passion to help victims of nursing home abuse and neglect. Call us today at 314-878-9797 to talk with a lawyer about your concerns.