Residents of a Michigan nursing home suffered repeated physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their fellow residents in 2006-07, a pattern of violence that nursing home management failed to stem or report, Michigan state officials alleged. Abuses uncovered at Tendercare Health Center-Birchwood, 2950 LaFrainer Road in Garfield Township, resulted in fines and prompted an ongoing criminal investigation by the Michigan Attorney General’s office. Victims included both male and female residents at Birchwood, which in November was named to a federal government list of the nation’s most troubled nursing homes.  Some men groped and grabbed women who couldn’t physically defend themselves. One man exposed his genitals; another touched women’s legs while he sat next to them playing bingo. The Henson Fuerst team of lawyers and staff remind blog viewers that nursing home abuses can occur by unattended and poorly supervised residents, as well as by person who do not live on the premises.

Click to read the entire story from The Traverse City Record-Eagle newspaper.

The HensonFuerst family extends its deepest and most profound sympathies to the families of Sunday’s massacre of eight innocent residents at the Pinelake Health and Rehab Center, 801 Pinehurst Ave., Carthage, North Carolina—a 110-bed rehabilitation, nursing and Alzheimer’s care facility.  As many blog viewers now know, a lone gunman, whom police have identified as Robert Stewart, age 45 of Moore County, began his rampage around 10 a.m. Sunday morning.  While his motives remain unclear, Stewart faces eight counts of first-degree murder.  Moore County District Attorney Maureen Krueger identified the dead as: Tessie Garner, 88; Lillian Dunn, 89; Jesse Musser, 88; John Goldston, 78; Margaret Johnson, 89; Louise Decker, 98; Bessie Hendrick, 78; and Jerry Avent. A young Carthage police officer, Justin Garner, was shot in the leg during the incident, but he was treated and released from First Health Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst.  Carthage Police Chief Chris McKenzie said Garner confronted Stewart in the hallway of the nursing home. Both men fired. Both were wounded, McKenzie said. The HensonFuerst family encourages you to share your feelings on this tragedy by posting messages with other blog viewers.