2 nursing facility employees denied bond on charges linked to patient’s death

WTVR, CMS, CNN

By Maggi Marshall

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    COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Virginia (WTVR) — New details are coming out about what role two employees at a Colonial Heights nursing facility allegedly had in a deadly elderly abuse case.

The Commonwealth’s Attorney painted the connection to a judge during a court hearing Friday deciding if they would get bond. These defendants are in addition to the employees who appeared in court Thursday.

A judge denied bond for Kamesha Kittrell, the director of nursing and Shakima Brewer, a night nurse.

The Colonial Heights Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney alleges the two played a part in creating the conditions that ultimately led to a resident’s death.

According to the Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney, Kittrell was responsible for ensuring staff was giving proper care and were properly trained.

She alleges records were falsified showing care was given to the resident who died when it wasn’t. The prosecutor also claims training was not done for staff and says Kittrell just had them sign off that it was. She claims Kittrell also told police she wasn’t going to turn herself in when warrants were out for her arrest.

The prosecutor claims Brewer was the night nurse responsible for taking care of the resident the night before before she was transported to the hospital where she later died. She alleges Brewer falsified records saying the resident’s wounds were fine and tended to when they were not.

Kittrell spoke up during her hearing, saying she didn’t abuse the resident. Brewer’s attorney argued there were multiple nurses who provided care and a trial should decide who is most responsible.

“Abusing the elderly, abusing the elderly. That’s the number one thing that’s right up there with kicking a puppy,” shared a family members with loved ones at Colonial Heights Rehabilitation and Nursing Home.

She continues to react to the details coming out about the 74-year-old patient was hospitalized and ultimately died due to inadequate care received at the facility, according to prosecutors. This family member had concerns for care about her loved one at the facility prior to the charges of 18 staff members.

“The reason why I’m there so often for my parent, is to oversee to make sure that they’re doing what they’re supposed to be doing. I worry if all of these people are on the same page, and following the care plan,” she said.

She said her concerns came over the last six months when she claims her loved one was hospitalized because equipment they needed was not being used properly. She was so concerned she put in a request to get her loved one’s records. She said she wanted to see if they had notated that they did something they hadn’t. She said she claimed to nursing supervisor.

She ultimately didn’t get those records because she had to pay for them. However, she said she is now going to get them- especially when she claims one of her loved ones nurses is facing falsification of records charges.

“I feel like I’m caught between a rock and a hard place, because my mother is one of the poor elderly. She’s on Medicaid, Medicare, and, you know, she’s limited on the facilities that will accept her,” she said.

A PR firm for the facility said they are not at liberty to discuss anything as the investigation is ongoing.

” We are focused, as always, on the care of our residents.,” they wrote in an email.

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