NIANTIC, CT – A man charged with assaulting a resident at the Connecticut nursing home where he worked has been sentenced in the case, WFSB reported.
As part of a plea agreement, 46-year-old John Blaise of Waterford pleaded guilty to charges of third-degree assault and second-degree abuse of person, a felony. He was sentenced last week by New London Superior Court Judge Tamar Birckhead to a three-year suspended prison sentence, followed by three years of probation. He is also banned from working in nursing homes.
The victim in the case was 87-year-old Claire Ramus, who suffered from dementia and had been living in the memory care unit of the Crescent Point facility in Niantic. Blaise, who worked as an aide at the nursing home, was caught on camera on Nov. 15, 2023, pushing Ramus onto her bed and striking her on her hip, that she had broken a short time before. The victim’s daughter told police her mother had been transported to a local hospital the day before the assault and the day of the assault due to falls.
The family discovered the assault after reviewing video footage from the cameras that had been installed in her room due to concerns about her falling. Blaine was arrested and subsequently fired from Crescent Point. Ramus died several days after the incident at a nursing home in Mystic. According to Blaise’s arrest warrant, the state’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said Ramus did not die as a result of having been struck by Blaise. Her cause of death was ruled as complications of blunt trauma of the right lower extremity with femur fracture. The manner of death was ruled as an accident due to a recent fall.
The woman’s family members spoke out at the sentencing about the trauma she had experienced. “We saw her fear, heard her screams, and we couldn’t protect her,” said Megan Kane, Ramus’s granddaughter, who added, “What I saw on that video footage will stay with me forever. My grandmother, tiny, confused, and in pain from a concussion sustained just hours before, was dragged, shoved, slapped and stripped of her dignity by someone supposed to care for her. She cried out, and he ignored her.”
Ramus’s family has filed a 13-count wrongful death lawsuit against Benchmark Senior Living LLC, the owner of Crescent Point. The company stated that Crescent Point is committed to the safety and well-being of residents. “At the time of the allegations, the community worked closely with the East Lyme Police Department and the Connecticut Department of Public Health. We cannot comment on pending legal matters out of respect for the privacy of the parties involved,” said David Levesque, Benchmark’s senior director for corporate communications.
“The pain is just incredible that the family will continue to live with for the rest of their lives,” said John Nazzaro, lawyer for the victim’s family. “For what we believe is negligence. Mr. Blaise had a prior arrest involving strangulation and abuse, and they did no action to keep this individual from harming Mrs. Ramus. They needed to do more.” Nazzaro said Blaise was previously arrested for strangulation in a domestic incident and that Benchmark should have known Blaise “posed a risk of harm” to Ramus.
The lawsuit alleges that the assault of Ramus was connected to her death. “The conduct of the Defendant, John Blaise, was a substantial factor in causing or hastening the demise mentally and physically of Claire Ramus and her eventual death,” the suit alleges.
Judge Birckhead ordered that while on probation Blaise will be barred from contact with the victim’s family and cannot seek employment at any establishment with elderly or vulnerable individuals.
Legal Rights if You Suspect Abuse
If you suspect that your loved one is experiencing any form of nursing home abuse or neglect, take action immediately. Your loved one has to be protected from being mistreated. You have the right to:
-Report suspected abuse without fear of retaliation
-Access your loved one’s medical records
-Transfer to another facility
-File a complaint with state authorities
-Pursue legal action if necessary
-Consider consulting with an elder law attorney for specific advice on your situation.
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Don’t let fear or uncertainty prevent you from speaking up. Your loved one deserves to live with dignity, respect, and freedom from abuse. Together, we can work to protect the rights of nursing home residents and ensure that they receive the quality care they deserve. Take the first step today by reaching out to FreeNursingHomeAbuseReport.com for help.
