Three nurse's aides at a special care facility for Alzheimer patients in Gary, Indiana, were accused of sleeping on duty and charged with neglect of patients found wearing clothes soaked in urine.

A surprise inspection conducted on the midnight shift at the Timberview Health Care Center resulted in the charges against the three nurse's aides as well as a nurse accused of allowing them to sleep on duty. All face up to three years in prison.

Director of Nursing Dorothy Torrence conduced the unannounced inspection after receiving complaints about neglect and abuse in the special care unit for the Alzheimer patients.

Torrence said the first resident she checked was wet with urine, another resident was wearing nothing but a urine-soaked diaper, and there was urine on the floor. A man in the neighboring bed was also wet with urine.

Several additional patients were found wet with urine, and when the aide responsible for them was confronted, she became belligerent and refused to clean up the residents, according to the affidavit. A number of other residents were subsequently found weaing urine-soaked diapers.

Other sources: Post-Tribune