Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

Brianna Marie Broitzman and Ashton Michelle Larson, the two nursing home aides facing misdemeanor charges in the Albert Lea “abuse-for-thrills” case that has garnered national media attention in recent months, will face a judge for the first time this week, according to the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota Star Tribune/Associated Press. The women are not expected to enter pleas until a pretrial hearing scheduled for March 23.

Broitzman and Larson are charged with abusing seven nursing home residents at the Good Samaritan Society. As many as 15 residents were abused and each had a previous diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease. A total of six aides were charged in the crime, but only Broitzman and Larson were charged as adults, as the other aides were juveniles when the crimes occurred.

Broitzman is charged with 11 gross misdemeanors and Larson faces 10 for fifth-degree assault, physical and sexual abuse of vulnerable adults, disorderly conduct by a caregiver and failing to report suspected abuse, according to the Star Tribune/Associated Press. The abuse involved aides allegedly holding down residents, putting their fingers in residents’ mouths and noses to quiet their cries and screams, hitting and rubbing their breasts and genitals, and sexually “humping” some residents. A coworker said the aides called the abuse “work fun or to get a good laugh.”

Among the four juveniles charged, one pleaded guilty to failing to report the alleged abuse and three others pleaded not guilty.

Because the crimes Broitzman and Larson are charged with are considered gross misdemeanors, the aides will likely face suspended jail sentences and probation.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 27th, 2009 at 12:17 pm and is filed under News, Nursing Home Links. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.