Dexter Health Care: Nurse Used Physical Restraint - ME
The August 16 incident at Dexter Health Care began when the resident started "super loud banging on the door" trying to get outside, according to a nursing assistant who witnessed the confrontation. Registered Nurse #1 yelled at the resident, "I told you to stop it, you're not going out!" and proceeded to drag the resident's wheelchair away from the door.
The resident threw a cup of coffee at the nurse.
What happened next violated federal nursing home regulations designed to protect residents from physical restraints. The nurse "kept trying to hold R1's hands down" after the coffee throwing, according to witness statements reviewed by state inspectors on August 26. A second nursing assistant described seeing the nurse "put her arms around R1's upper chest as she wheeled him away from the door, both of them yelling at each other."
The nurse positioned herself behind the resident's wheelchair and reached over the resident's shoulders to hold their arms down. "R1's hands were kind of moving but CNA4 stated that she didn't think R1 could have moved his/her arms because of the way that RN1 had her arms crossed around R1's upper shoulder," according to the inspection report.
During the struggle, the resident bit the nurse. "The next thing RN1 screamed, OW, R1 friggen bit me!" one witness recalled.
Federal regulations define physical restraints as "any manual method or physical or mechanical device, material or equipment attached or adjacent to the resident's body that the individual cannot remove easily, which restricts freedom of movement or restricts normal access to one's body." The facility's own policy, revised in March 2025, uses identical language.
State inspectors determined the nurse's actions constituted physical restraint because she used "body contact as a method of physical restraint to limit a resident's voluntary movement."
The facility placed the nurse on leave pending investigation two days after the incident. A Performance Correction Notice dated August 18 stated the nurse was suspended "because of an incident with an allegation of abuse that was considered restraining a resident."
Witness accounts revealed the escalating nature of the confrontation. The resident was "kicking the door" while the nurse tried to prevent them from going outside, according to one nursing assistant's interview with inspectors. The nurse spoke "in a frustrated manner," repeatedly telling the resident "you need to stop, you need to stop you can't go outside."
One witness described the nurse as standing "from behind the chair because R1 was kicking the door and RN1 didn't want to get hit." But the nurse's method of protecting herself crossed legal boundaries.
"She tried to wheel R1 around, she was behind R1, she tried to hold his/her arms down while standing behind, and R1 bit her," the witness told inspectors.
The incident occurred during what appeared to be an attempt by the resident to leave the facility. Multiple witnesses described the resident's persistent efforts to get through the front door, including loud banging that drew staff attention from other areas of the building.
Physical restraints in nursing homes have been heavily regulated since the 1987 Nursing Home Reform Act, which established residents' rights to be free from unnecessary restraints. The regulations recognize that restraints can cause physical and psychological harm to residents, including increased agitation, depression, and risk of injury.
The use of body contact to restrict a resident's movement falls under the same regulatory prohibitions as mechanical restraints like bed rails or lap belts. Staff are expected to use de-escalation techniques and environmental modifications rather than physical force to manage challenging behaviors.
In this case, the nurse's response to the resident's aggressive behavior created the very situation the regulations are designed to prevent. Rather than calming the situation, the physical restraint led to increased agitation and ultimately to the resident biting the nurse.
The facility's investigation included written statements from multiple witnesses and interviews with staff members. Inspectors reviewed these materials along with the nurse's personnel file and the facility's restraint policy during their August 26 visit.
One nursing assistant who ran to the area after hearing the "super loud banging" provided detailed observations of the confrontation's progression. Her account captured the escalating verbal exchange between the nurse and resident, the coffee throwing, and the nurse's repeated attempts to hold down the resident's hands.
Another witness described the physical positioning that made the restraint effective, noting how the nurse's arms crossed around the resident's upper shoulders prevented arm movement. This positioning, while perhaps intended to protect the nurse from being hit, legally constituted a physical restraint because it restricted the resident's freedom of movement.
The resident's response to being restrained followed a pattern often seen when physical force is used against nursing home residents. Rather than becoming compliant, the resident escalated to biting, creating injury to the staff member and additional trauma for both parties.
The incident highlights the challenges nursing home staff face in managing residents who want to leave the facility or engage in potentially unsafe behaviors. However, federal regulations provide clear guidance that physical restraints cannot be used for staff convenience or to manage behaviors that are primarily disruptive rather than immediately dangerous.
State inspectors found the facility failed to ensure the resident was free from restraint, citing minimal harm or potential for actual harm. The violation affects policies and procedures that should protect all residents from inappropriate use of physical force by staff members.
The August confrontation ended with a nurse on administrative leave, a resident who had been physically restrained and became aggressive enough to bite, and a facility facing federal regulatory violations. The bite mark on the nurse's body became evidence of how quickly situations can deteriorate when staff abandon de-escalation techniques in favor of physical control.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Dexter Health Care from 2025-08-26 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: Official federal inspection data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Editorial process: AI-synthesized regulatory data, reviewed for accuracy by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: June 13, 2026 · Our methodology
Dexter Health Care in Dexter, ME was cited for violations during a health inspection on August 26, 2025.
Registered Nurse #1 yelled at the resident, "I told you to stop it, you're not going out!" and proceeded to drag the resident's wheelchair away from the door.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the full report below for specific details and facility response.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened at Dexter Health Care?
- Registered Nurse #1 yelled at the resident, "I told you to stop it, you're not going out!" and proceeded to drag the resident's wheelchair away from the door.
- How serious are these violations?
- Violation severity varies from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the inspection report for specific deficiency codes and scope. All violations must be corrected within required timeframes and are subject to follow-up verification inspections.
- What should families do?
- Families should: (1) Ask facility administration about specific corrective actions taken, (2) Request to see the follow-up inspection report verifying corrections, (3) Check if this represents a pattern by reviewing prior inspection reports, (4) Compare this facility's ratings with other nursing homes in Dexter, ME, (5) Report any new concerns directly to state authorities.
- Where can I see the full inspection report?
- The complete inspection report is available on Medicare.gov's Care Compare website (www.medicare.gov/care-compare). You can also request a copy directly from Dexter Health Care or from the state Department of Health. The report includes specific deficiency codes, facility responses, and correction timelines. This facility's federal provider number is 205115.
- Has this facility had violations before?
- To check Dexter Health Care's history, visit Medicare.gov's Care Compare and review their inspection history, quality ratings, and staffing levels. Look for patterns of repeated violations, especially in critical areas like abuse prevention, medication management, infection control, and resident safety.