Nurse's aide accused of abuse
Man allegedly fondled 3 residents of E. Oahu retirement community
June 19, 2009
Police have arrested a man who allegedly fondled three elderly women when he worked as a certified nursing assistant at Kahala Nui, an upscale East O'ahu retirement community.
Mark Genetiano, 24, of Kalihi, remained in police custody last night. He was arrested Wednesday for investigation of five counts of third-degree sexual assault. Charges were pending.
Two of the women are 92 and one is 89 years old. They were allegedly fondled by Genetiano in Kahala Nui's skilled nursing center, where they live, from May 1 to June 1, police said.
Kahala Nui said it fired Genetiano and reported the incident to police and to the state Department of Health. Kahala Nui administrators have reminded the staff of its policies and procedures in the event of abuse, CEO Pat Duarte said in a written statement.
John McDermott, state long-term-care ombudsman at the Executive Office on Aging, said of the abuse allegation: "If it's true, it's disgusting. Our seniors in long-term-care facilities are often chosen as targets because they cannot identify their attackers either because of memory problems or vision and their attackers know this.
Hawai'i law states that third-degree sexual assault involves sexual contact with a person who is mentally defective, mentally incapacitated or physically helpless.
A new law going into effect July 1 will require anyone who works in an adult residential care facility who suspects abuse to report it to the Adult Protective Services Division of the state Department of Human Services and to the state Department of Health, McDermott said.
"We want to make sure people report things immediately because witnesses may forget and evidence changes, bruises heal, a roommate may die or go to the hospital," he said. "It's critical that the Adult Protective Services gets involved immediately."
Abridged
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