• 04
  • June
    2010

A Virginia judge recently sentenced a former nursing home aide to 60 years in prison for sexually assaulting four elderly women. James Wright had worked at a number of nursing homes or assisting living centers, including National HealthCare, in Bristol, Virginia, where his four victims resided.

In addition to the actions of Wright, the nursing home and its parent company have also drawn criticism for not doing enough to investigate claims of potential nursing home abuse and not immediately reporting abuse claims to law enforcement. The facility has also come under fire for providing Wright with a positive reference when he sought to find a job with a new nursing home facility, despite the many rumors and allegations of inappropriate or abuse conduct with which he had been connected.

Despite offering an apology to his victims and their families moments before being sentenced, a psychological evaluation prepared as part of his pre-sentence report indicated that Wright seemed to blame his victims for the assaults. The evaluation also concluded that his personality profile fit that of a typical rapist or molester.

Wright did not plead guilty to the four counts of aggravated sexual battery, but instead made an "Alford" plea, meaning that he accepted that the prosecutor's evidence was strong enough to convict him even without a guilty plea. For legal purposes, this type of plea is treated the same as a guilty plea by the court. However, it also allows the accused to accept a punishment without having to explicitly admit responsibility for the crime.

Since Wright was arrested last year, the state licensing board has also fined and reprimanded the former Director of Nursing at the Bristol area nursing home. The current administrators of that facility also face potential board sanctions. National HealthCare is a chain of nursing homes based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 

Related Resources:

Wright sentenced to 60 years in nursing home abuse case (TriCities.com)