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Tuesday, January 13, 2009 5:00 pm by Kaci Christian, FOX23.com, Tulsa OK) – Disturbing sexual allegations against a nursing home employee are coming to light. Officers arrested a man in Bixby last Friday, January 9, 2009, after a witness contacted authorities. Edward Lee Marshall is accused of sexual molestation of a blind and disabled resident. Marshall is currently out on a $27,000 bond. FOX 23’s Kaci Christian has more on the serious issue of elder abuse.
“We’re told it happens far more often than we know: people confined to nursing homes or other longterm residential assisted care facilities being assaulted, abused and neglected, yet many times, we don’t suspect a thing,” reports FOX 23’s Kaci Christian.
Kathy King is a veteran with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. She’s with the Adult Protective Services division.
King explains why oftentimes family members or friends don’t suspect that a loved one may be the victim of abuse. She says it’s all about expectations.
“They are generally getting paid for the care that they are giving, and there’s expectations that they will give good care,” King says.
But all too often, King adds, her division of the state Department of Human Services (DHS) allegations of abuse and neglect.
For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, DHS recorded 160 referrals of abuse, neglect or exploitation, and state caseworkers verified 44% of those, or 70 cases.
For the same period ending June 30, 2007, there were 158 allegations and 34%, or 54 cases, confirmed.
