Wichita nurse aide injured 90-year-old by moving her without help. He’ll serve probation
A 31-year-old Wichita man was sentenced to one year of probation after mistreating an elderly woman in a way that caused injuries before she died.
Jose Luis Reyes pleaded guilty in July to a felony charge of mistreating a 90-year-old resident of a Bel Aire nursing home in December 2022, according to a news release from the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.
He was sentenced on Wednesday to one year of probation and agreed to surrender his Kansas medical certifications, the release said. He cannot work anywhere he would be providing medical care to patients.
Reyes worked as a certified nurse aide at Catholic Care Center in Bel Aire, where the resident died on Dec. 10, 2022, the DA’s office said.
Although the resident’s main cause of death was heart disease, her autopsy showed she had suffered injuries including broken bones in her legs, bruising under her armpits and a bruise to her head.
Investigators learned that Reyes injured the resident when he attempted to move her from a bed to a wheelchair without assistance.
“Evidence showed the woman either fell or was dropped onto the floor of her room on the day she died,” the release said. “Medical records showed the nursing home staff was aware that S.C. required at least two people to move her at all times.”
If Reyes violates the terms of his probation, he could serve nine months in prison.