By David Unze, St. Cloud Times, Minn. –
March 31–A former employee of a Kimball home care/assisted living facility was sentenced Friday to serve 45 days in jail for mistreating a resident.
Melissa Jean Stern, 37, was convicted in January by a Stearns County jury of one count of abuse of a vulnerable adult by a caregiver. She was charged with grabbing the genitals of a 77-year-old man who was living at the facility.
That caused a scratch to the top of the man’s penis and bleeding.
The Minnesota Department of Health substantiated the complaint of abuse in a report in which a facility employee told investigators that the man would not get off the toilet and that Stern grabbed his genitals, according to the report.
Stearns County District Court Judge Mary Mahler sentenced Stern to a year in jail, with all but 45 days stayed. Stern has to pay $685 in fines and fees and comply with several other conditions, including remaining law abiding, or the balance of the sentence could be imposed.
Stern will be allowed to serve the sentence through work release and will be able to complete community service in lieu of the fine.
