CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A Chillicothe nursing and rehabilitation facility is facing allegations of neglect after a resident reported being locked in a room, physically mishandled by staff, and denied necessary medication.
Neglect and Abuse Allegations
A resident of Legacy, located on Columbus Street in Chillicothe reported to police that she was locked in a room while suffering from the flu. According to police documents, she “stated that she did not have the proper care from the staff and that the room was not suitable to be in.” She also said that when she tried to get out, she was “banging on the door to be let out and that none of the staff would let her out.” When she asked if she could at least keep the door open due to her claustrophobia, she stated, “the staff just shut the door on her.”
In addition to being allegedly confined against her will, the resident claims she was physically injured by the staff while being moved. According to the police report, she “stated she was transported to ARMC because staff at Legacy bumped her head when they were moving her from beds.” The extent of her head injury was not disclosed in the report.
Further allegations of mistreatment include improper handling by nurses when assisting her. The resident reported that “when she was being changed by nurses she asked the nurse not to grab her left knee because it needs to be replaced.” Despite this, she stated that “the nurse continued to grab her knee and roll her over with it,” causing significant pain and leading her to seek X-rays.
Additionally, the resident accused the facility of withholding her prescribed medication. The police report notes that she “stated that the staff at Legacy have been withholding her medication Celebrex and not giving it to her.” She also claimed that “the doctors have taken her off the medication and has requested to be back on it and has not received any answers.”
Police Response
Despite the severity of the allegations, local law enforcement took no apparent investigative action at the facility. Instead, the responding officer documented the claims and deferred the matter to another agency, stating in the report, “I referred [the resident] to contact the Ohio Department of Health to file a complaint and to obtain resources for the situation.” While the report ends with the phrase “investigation continues,” it provides no indication of any further steps taken by police.
The Guardian will continue to look into this case and provide the latest information.