London police have confirmed they are now looking into the abuse of 19 residents by a former nurse at Mount Hope Centre for Long Term Care.
St. Joseph's Health Care filed a complaint with London police Thursday. It comes nearly two years after allegations surfaced that registered practical nurse Susan Muzylowsky abused residents, some sexually, over an eight month period.
"We will obtain the initial information and it will be reviewed by our sexual assault and child abuse unit, which is responsible for investigating alleged elder abuse incidents," says Constable Melissa Duncan. "Then if it is warranted an investigation will be commenced."
Muzylowsky admitted to the abuse, which occured between January and August 2014, to a disciplinary panel at the College of Nurses of Ontario in May. The panel intitally put a publication ban on the name of the long term care home where Muzylowsky worked. That ban was lifted Wednesday.
Speaking after the name of the home was made public, St. Joseph’s president and CEO Dr. Gillian Kernaghan said not getting the police involved sooner was a judgement call.
"There is objectivity in that reporting and at the time, based on the interviews and determining all that had happened, the decision was made that it did not meet the threshold to call the police," says Dr. Kernaghan. "We also had the Ministry of Health inspectors who came in and did their own critical incident review. They did a review of our internal review and our policy and procedures and they did not indicate that we should be calling the police either."
At this point police aren't speculating whether charges will be laid.
"It (the investigation) is just in its infancy, it's just at the beginning stages of gathering the preliminary information as far as the complaint is concerned," says Duncan. "So we can't speak to the complexity or any possible outcomes."
According to Dr. Kernaghan, Muzylowsky was suspended within one hour after abuse allegations surfaced on August 5, 2014 and never returned to work. She was formally terminated one month later. She had worked at the facility since October 2008.
Among the infractions detailed in a statement of facts, signed by Muzylowsky, was calling residents pigs and whiners, touching or spanking residents, making derogatory comments describing residents’ genitalia, and withholding pain and Parkinson’s medication. She was also quoted as saying to a resident “you haven’t seen rough yet. I’ll give you something to cry about. Quit being a sissy."
Other staff at the home were said to be scared and intimidated by Muzylowsky, who often hurled insults at them.
Muzylowsky resigned from practice permanently in December 2015.
