Duluth nursing home employee recorded humiliating videos of residents

DULUTH — A nursing home employee abused four residents by posting humiliating videos and photos of them on the instant messaging app Snapchat, in addition to physically abusing one of the residents, the Minnesota Department of Health confirmed in an investigation.

The maltreatment incidents occurred at Bayshore Residence & Rehabilitation Center, 1601 St. Louis Ave., in the Park Point neighborhood. Minnesota Department of Health special investigator Michele Larson concluded the report Oct. 22.

The investigation found a female employee sent numerous photos and videos of four residents at the facility to a former employee, in addition to posting the content on Snapchat. During an interview, the former employee told authorities the images they received from the perpetrator were “upsetting and seemed to be getting worse in nature.”

In an interview with authorities, the accused employee admitted to throwing shoes and food at a resident with physical, communicative and cognitive impairments.

In a video recorded with her personal cellphone, the employee grabbed the resident’s lower legs and forcefully flung the resident’s body into a face-up laying position on the bed before throwing the resident’s shoes at their chest and face. The employee then lifted her middle finger at the resident before ending the recording.

In a second video, the employee’s voice can be heard saying, “Here, catch!” as pasta was scooped and tossed at the resident’s body twice in his protest. The employee’s middle finger can be seen pointing at the resident in the foreground of a photo, which clearly showed the resident’s face.

The staff member also took inappropriate and revealing photos of three other vulnerable residents, either partially nude or posing with pornographic images.

According to the report, three of the residents required wheelchairs while another required a walker for mobility. One of the four residents was unable to be interviewed by the MDH investigators due to their cognitive level. The accused perpetrator declined a request for an interview.

Bayshore leadership said the employee was immediately terminated and law enforcement was contacted upon their awareness of the photos and videos. According to facility leadership, Bayshore staff receive training on abuse and restrictions of posting to social media several times a year.

The employee was notified of their right to appeal the MDH maltreatment finding, and Bayshore was issued a correction order for review.