By Michael Behrendt and Timo Beurich
These are unbelievable allegations! The public prosecutor’s office has initiated a major investigation against seven employees of a nursing service. It’s about negligent homicide in two cases, grievous bodily harm and mistreatment!
On Wednesday, the investigators got serious: 48 officers executed 27 search warrants across Berlin on behalf of the public prosecutor’s office. They confiscated numerous documents and patient files.
The investigators are particularly focusing on the senior housing complex on Rudolf-Seiffert-Straße in Lichtenberg Photo: Timo Beurich
According to information from the BZ, the focus is primarily on a senior citizens’ residential complex on Rudolf-Seiffert-Straße in Lichtenberg. Officially it says: “We are investigating two cases of negligent homicide, grievous bodily harm and mistreatment of those under protection. A total of 13 people in need of care may have been harmed in two senior citizens’ residences in Lichtenberg between January 2017 and January 2023.”
And further: “They are said to have been treated incorrectly by insufficiently qualified or negligent nursing service employees.”
Some of the victims are said to have suffered bedsores due to improper storage. In others, the wrong medication was administered or discontinued incorrectly.
April 2020: There was a major corona outbreak in the Lichtenberg home during the pandemic Photo: spreepicture
Particularly bad: A 75-year-old suffocated when the food was administered incorrectly. In another case, a deterioration in health was apparently reported too late – the old lady died.
The investigation report goes on to say: “Although the nursing service itself acts as an outpatient nursing service, the combined offer of care and living in a retirement community gives the impression of a nursing home.”
According to an investigator, it was suggested to the residents that they were dependent on the outpatient care service that worked with the facility. A fallacy – in fact, each patient could have made an individual decision.
The partner facility in Karlshorst was also searched Photo: Jörg Bergmann
Apparently financial interests were more important than nursing services. The investigators are also examining cases of billing fraud.
A number of employees at the senior citizens’ facility on Rudolf-Seiffert-Straße reacted extremely aggressively to BZ research on Thursday! On the phone they said brusquely that the management could not be reached. A reporter on site was also threatened with a report if he entered the area.
According to BZ information, a partner seniors’ facility on Hönower Strasse was also searched. Both there and on Rudolf-Seiffert-Straße there was a high infection rate among senior citizens during the corona pandemic and the State Criminal Police Office was called into action.
This is how you can tell if something is going wrong during care
Things don’t always work the same way in retirement homes as they do with care at home. BZ explains how to tell if something is going wrong when caring for your loved one.
Andrea Didszun (42), consultant and head of the nursing base in Pankow, says: “When you move into a nursing home, you are buying all-round care. You should always compare: What is in the care planning and what is in the care documentation?” The nursing staff must document all steps precisely in writing.
You should also pay attention to common things when visiting home: Has the person in need of care eaten or drunk anything? Will he be motivated to exercise? Are the medications sorted and administered as prescribed?
Andrea Didszun from the Pankow nursing base Photo: Compass
“If my relative lies in bed all day, even though he is still relatively fit, wears a nightgown all day, has injuries to his skin and has a full plate next to him, then that has to be taken seriously,” says Didszun.
Not everything always necessarily indicates poor care. Nevertheless, if in doubt, you should simply ask those responsible.
Didszun: “I definitely recommend using the complaint channels that are available. Those in need of care in retirement homes are in a certain state of dependency, which prevents many people from doing so. But you should approach the medical service, the home management and the nursing care fund.”