Senior Home Staff Photographed Resident Partially Nude: Lawsuit

An 83-year-old woman suffering from dementia was photographed or videoed partially nude without her consent by staff members of the assisted living facility where she was living, a lawsuit alleges. The staff then circulated the image via social media, mocking her physical and mental conditions, the litigation asserts.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the anonymous resident of Paramount Senior Living of Cranberry in Seven Fields, Butler County, just north of Pittsburgh. It contends the image showed the victim naked from the waist down with her shower chair placed over her bowel movement with the caption "Winter Fail."

The images were shared on Snapchat and Facebook Messenger, the lawsuit asserts.

The lawsuit further contends that Paramount staff did not fully cooperate with the Butler County Area on Aging, which launched an investigation into the incident after receiving an anonymous tip. Nor is there any mention of the incident in the woman's medical records, according to the lawsuit.

"EVery family's worst nightmare became reality when these photos were taken and distributed," said attorney Rob Pierce, who represents the woman. Paramount failed to live up to its promises and failed its client in the highest degree.”

Chase Darmstadter, regional director of operations for the facility's parent company, Paramount Health Resources Inc. said in a statement Tuesday that Paramount disputes the characterizaton of its actions in the lawsuit.

"As soon as we were made aware of the incident, the employee was immediately suspended and then terminated," he said. " We are sickened by the actions of this employee and do not tolerate this behavior in our senior living communities.”