08:53 AM EDT on Tuesday, May 23, 2006

By TONY BURBECK / 6NEWS
E-mail Tony: TBurbeck@WCNC.com

6NEWS

Keller's neck, face, arms and wrist were all bruised. His family said those injuries were inflicted on Keller since he entered the Brian Center Health and Rehabilitation nursing home four months ago.

HICKORY -- A recently released report says a man in a nursing home was physically and verbally abused and his family said they were never notified.

The state report found six physical and verbal altercations dating back to March. The nursing home couldn’t provide the state with the paperwork and loved ones said they found out by questioning bruises.

Those bruises were on 84-year-old Charles Keller's neck, face, arms and wrist. His family said those injuries were inflicted on Keller since he entered the Brian Center Health and Rehabilitation nursing home four months ago.

They are injuries the family said staff didn’t tell them about, injuries that would have led to Keller's immediate removal if the family had known.

Arguments, fights, punches and even an alleged choking are documented in the state's investigation and an assault reported to Hickory police.

The man believed to be responsible was Keller's roommate.

Keller is dependent on the center's staff for care, but his former roommate is not.

Last month, the report said Keller and his roommate threw punches. Keller got a bloody lip and a nursing assistant witnessed it and reported it to a nurse.

When questioned by the state, the nurse didn’t remember it, so "no protective interventions or investigations were initiated."

When it came to Keller's care, the report said the center "failed to intervene in conflicts," "failed to implement a policy for abuse and neglect" and failed to provide protection for both Keller and his roommate.

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When it came to notifying DSS, the report said social workers weren't aware of roommate conflicts and the center "failed to follow up referrals."

The report also said staff failed to provide Keller safe wheelchair transport.  Keller's feet were dragged through the parking lot.  It tore through his socks, leaving his feet scraped, skin torn, bruised and bleeding.

6NEWS was not able to talk to the nursing home administrator, but in the state report, the administrator is quoted as saying, "…staff said there had been incidents before. But they never made it past the nurse's desk." Also, "…anything reported to the nurse should be documented."