The October 20 incident at Brittany Manor was captured on video surveillance that administrators provided to federal inspectors during a November 6 complaint investigation. The footage shows the aide becoming frustrated when residents wandered into the wrong room, then physically assaulting both patients within seconds.
Resident 100, described in records as an elderly female with dementia who could walk independently and feed herself, suffered a four-centimeter cut to the back of her head that required sutures. The impact also caused a large hematoma on her buttock that showed underlying bleeding, prompting doctors to admit her for monitoring.
Resident 101, an elderly male also diagnosed with dementia, was shoved in the shoulder and stumbled backward in the hallway.
The video footage reveals a sequence of escalating aggression by the aide, identified in inspection records as CNA A. At 2:50 AM, both residents walked calmly in the hallway, speaking to no one. The aide sat in a chair with her view partially obstructed by equipment. No other staff were visible.
When Resident 100 entered a room that didn't belong to her, the aide called out and got up from her chair to enter the room. She emerged alone after a few seconds and yelled "God" in what inspectors described as a frustrated voice.
The aide put on her shoes and returned toward the room. As she entered, Resident 101 walked into the doorway behind her. The aide turned partially around, faced the male resident, extended her right arm and shoved him on the shoulder, causing him to stumble backwards in the hallway.
What happened next inside the room remains unclear from the surveillance footage. Inspectors noted that nothing was heard while the aide and Resident 100 were together - no yelling, no instruction for the resident to leave the room, no sounds of a physical struggle, and no calls for help.
Then Resident 100 appeared in the doorway with her back to the hall and was propelled across the corridor, hitting the back of her head on the opposite wall. A thud was audible on the video recording as she struck the surface. The aide stood in the doorway watching.
During an interview on November 6, Resident 100 told inspectors that staff had shoved her in the past and that it made her mad.
The facility's administrator confirmed during the same day's interview that CNA A was fired for failing to follow the facility's abuse policy and procedure and for the inappropriate physical contact that caused injury to Resident 100 and for shoving Resident 101.
Federal inspection records show that Resident 100 was originally admitted to Brittany Manor on an unspecified date with dementia as a primary diagnosis. Her care plan reflected that she remained independent with walking, bed mobility, and transferring between surfaces. She could feed herself with setup assistance.
Resident 101's admission record showed he was also diagnosed with dementia and had been admitted on an unspecified date.
The emergency room treatment for Resident 100 addressed both the bleeding head wound and the buttock injury. The four-centimeter hematoma showed signs of internal bleeding, requiring the two-day hospital admission for monitoring.
Federal inspectors classified the violations as causing actual harm to a few residents. The facility was cited for failing to protect residents from physical abuse by staff, a fundamental requirement under federal nursing home regulations.
By the time of the November inspection, Brittany Manor had implemented corrective actions that included re-educating staff about recognizing burnout, behavior management techniques, and the facility's abuse policies and procedures. Inspectors found the facility had demonstrated monitoring of these corrective measures and was maintaining compliance.
The incident represents a stark violation of basic resident safety protections. Federal law requires nursing homes to protect each resident from all types of abuse, including physical abuse by staff members. The regulation specifically prohibits physical punishment and neglect by anybody working in the facility.
The video evidence provided clear documentation of the aide's actions, showing both the shoulder shove that caused Resident 101 to stumble and the subsequent incident that sent Resident 100 across the hallway into the wall with enough force to cause significant injury.
The timing of the incident, occurring at 2:50 AM when minimal staff were present and residents were likely confused by their surroundings, highlights the vulnerability of dementia patients during overnight hours. Both residents appeared calm before the aide's intervention, according to the video footage.
The aide's decision to put on shoes before returning to the room suggests a level of preparation for physical intervention, rather than a spontaneous reaction to an immediate threat or emergency.
The fact that no sounds of struggle or calls for help were captured on the audio recording raises questions about what transpired inside the room before Resident 100 was propelled into the hallway. The silence suggests the incident may not have involved the resident fighting back or creating a disturbance that would justify physical intervention.
Resident 100's statement to inspectors that staff had shoved her in the past indicates this may not have been an isolated incident, though the inspection report focused specifically on the October 20 events captured on video.
The facility's response included terminating the aide and implementing staff education programs, but the damage to Resident 100 required medical intervention that extended beyond the nursing home setting. Her head injury needed sutures, and the internal bleeding concern from her buttock hematoma necessitated hospital monitoring that lasted two full days.
For Resident 101, the shoulder shove that caused him to stumble backward represented a clear act of physical aggression against a vulnerable dementia patient who had simply walked into a doorway.
The administrator's confirmation that the aide was fired for violating abuse policies demonstrates the facility recognized the severity of the violations, but the incident had already resulted in significant harm to residents under the facility's care.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Brittany Manor from 2025-11-06 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.