3 workers accused of abusing elderly in Minn. assisted living center

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VIRGINIA, Minn. - Three employees at an assisted living facility on the Iron Range are accused of pinching, slapping and verbally abusing several residents.

Details about the alleged abuse at Edgewood Vista Virginia were released Tuesday in a report by the Minnesota Department of Health's Office of Health Facility Complaints. Among the allegations, employees are accused of abusing one resident with Alzheimer's disease by pinching her in the breast, slapping her buttocks, and throwing balls at her.

A message left Wednesday at Edgewood Vista Virginia was not immediately returned. The report says two of the employees were suspended in April and a third was placed on a 30-day performance plan.

This is the third report of nursing home abuse in Minnesota since August 2008. Employees in the Albert Lea and Montevideo cases have been criminally charged.

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