Employment Screening

In a Nursing Home this Should Have Never Happened

In the town of Merrillville a nightmare took place for one paralyzed patient who was under the care and supervision of Golden Living Centers. Not only did the victim of this nightmare have to endure sexual abuse by one of his “caretakers”, there was nothing he could do to stop him; he was paralyzed due to a stroke. What’s worse is that the alleged perpetrator had been accused of the same sexual misconduct by another patient in 2009.

These atrocities happen more than nursing homes, medical centers, and hospitals would like to admit. However, with the proper employment screening and criminal background searches in place, these unthinkable crimes can be avoided. Though the Merrillville nursing home stated that they conducted a comprehensive background check on their employee before he was hired, the fact remains that two of their patients have been allegedly victimized.

The suspected abuser was investigated last year by the nursing home staff when the first allegation was brought to their attention. The caretaker denied the allegations and stated that his patient was uncomfortable with him being homosexual and made up the charges to avoid contact with him. Unfortunately, another victim has now surfaced and the question remains: Did the caretaker abuse the first victim after all?

In the healthcare industry, and especially in the care of the elderly, abuse and negligence have been the center of many lawsuits by victims and their families. It is unusual for sexual abuse allegations to be a part of a lawsuit for these types of patients. It is more common, however, to find that caretakers who have been convicted of a crime had been accused of some sort of abuse by patients at some point during their career.

This is the main reason why criminal background searches and employment screening are vital in the healthcare field. No matter what the crime on record, it is up to the staff to find the information through an employment screening service. Once the criminal record has been uncovered, the staff can make a decision about whether or not to hire the individual. Violent crimes, sexual offenses, and assault charges are just some of the many crimes that medical staff should be looking for as major red flags.

With any employment screening service, such as AccuScreen, thoroughness and accuracy are taken to ensure that every bit of information is exposed. From minor offenses allowable by law to felony charges and drunken driving or drug charges, nothing gets past the watchful eyes of AccuScreen’s technologies and databases.  Further, they can provide clients with necessary drug testing results, DMV and driving records, salary history, verification of a degree or certification, criminal background searches, and much more.

When you need help with finding out who your applicants really are, ask the experts at AccuScreen. Not only will your candidates’ truths be exposed, you’ll avoid hiring the “Employee from Hell”.