Fair warning, this is one of the hardest videos you will ever watch.
The video, which was only recently released, shows an alarming lack of regard for human life, especially in a healthcare setting specifically tasked with helping preserve it. “In 43 years in nursing, I have never seen such disregard for human life in a healthcare setting, is what I witnessed,” retired nursing professor Elaine Harris told reporters. after watching the video.
The man, 89-year-old James Dempsey, is not just any man. He’s a World War II veteran who risked his life to fight the evil of all evils in what is likely the most important, consequential, world event of our time. If it weren’t for people like Dempsey, the world could be a very, very different place today.
Back in 2014, Dempsey was under the care of Northeast Atlanta Health and Rehabilitation, when he began struggling to breathe. Gasping for air and fighting through pain, Dempsey cries out for help at least six times, as captured on a hidden video camera that the nurses clearly were unaware of.
“Help me! Help me! I can’t breathe!” Dempsey can be heard calling out, while the nurses ignore the call light for an agonizing stretch of time. But it gets even worse, as when nurses finally do arrive on the scene and have trouble fumbling around with the oxygen machine, they begin laughing. A family is literally trusting this facility to watch over their loved one and give them the best care possible, and instead they received a mockery of human life.
Not much is done for quite some time other than repositioning him as he struggles to breathe. When he finally becomes unresponsive, the efforts at reviving him fall incredibly short. They also don’t even come close to matching what the supervising nurse claimed happened – she told investigators she conducted CPR until paramedics arrived on the scene. When confronted with the video (which is what the feature image of this article shows – her watching this all unfold, after she lied) it became clear she was not telling the truth.
She called the lie an “honest mistake” after being confronted with the truth. And the truth tells a far more disturbing story than her sanitized version. The staff did not call 911 until a full hour later.
This particular video shined a light on continuing problems at this particular healthcare facility, but it should also remind us all not to take anything for granted. Often times in the middle of our grief, as we care for an ailing loved one, we place too much trust in the professionals who are charged with caring for our loved ones. Many times, you only get one shot to do it right – and you can never be too cautious.
This video is difficult to watch, but it is needed so that families can be on guard and extra diligent in making sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else, ever again.
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