By Bill Robinson
Valerie Lamb of Berea, one of three former employees of Madison Manor nursing home indicted for abuse of a patient there, pleaded guilty Monday in Madison District Court to one count of misdemeanor abuse of an adult.
The case was prosecuted by the state attorney general’s office, and Judge Earl-Ray Neal accepted the state recommended sentence of a two-year diversion program that includes 50 hours of community service.
Lamb will be required to cooperate with any further investigation of Madison Manor. According to a press release from the attorney general’s office, the investigation is ongoing.
Lamb’s community service may not involve work with children, vulnerable adults or any program funded by Medicaid or Medicare, according to the judge’s order. She also must remain drug free and commit no other criminal violation.
Compliance will be monitored by the court’s Pretrial Diversion office. If she violates the conditions of her diversion, Neal said, Lamb will be sentenced to one year in jail.
Lamb was indicted by a Madison County grand jury in April after the family of Armeda Thomas, 84, an Alzheimer’s patient from Irvine, suspected their loved one was being abused at the nursing home and planted a hidden camera to record her care in August 2008.
The indictment accused Lamb of reckless abuse and neglect of an adult by “lifting Thomas by her neck and by highly raising her legs when she performed incontinent changes resulting in pain or injury to Ms. Thomas.”
Another defendant in the case, Jaclyn Dawn VanWinkle of Richmond, also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and received a similar sentence.
VanWinkle later was indicted on rape and sodomy charges for allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old boy. She was given a hearing Monday morning in Madison Circuit Court to determine if she was mentally competent to stand trial. Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jennifer said a Feb. 18 pre-trial conference was scheduled for VanWinkle and referred questions about details of the competency hearing to the defendant’s attorney, Michael Eubanks.
A third defendant in the Madison Manor abuse case, Amanda Sallee of Richmond, is scheduled to stand trial March 15 in Madison Circuit Court on charges of wanton abuse of an adult.
The indictment of Sallee accused her of denying Thomas food between Sept. 1 and Sept. 5, 2008, and eating the meals herself.
Wanton abuse or neglect of an adult is a Class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison if convicted. Reckless abuse or neglect is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail.
Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@richmondregister.com or at 624-6622.
