Elder patient nursing assistants penalized

Two nursing assistants who worked in north-central Washington lost their certifications to work for at least five years, the state Department of Health announced this week.

David J. Lopez, 21, was accused of mental abuse of a vulnerable adult, and Shannon R. Abrams, 46, was accused of using a client’s credit card without permission.

Both faced civil charges of unprofessional conduct and failed to respond to the state agency, resulting in suspensions of their license to practice.

Lopez was fired from his job at Ambitions of Washington, a Liberty Lake organization with an office in Wenatchee that provides services for people with disabilities, according to the state Department of Health.

According to court documents, a staff member saw Lopez pointing a finger and yelling at a resident who was sleeping, and repeatedly turning lights off and on in the resident’s room between 11:30 p.m. and 5 a.m. He was also accused of knocking on the door of another resident’s room, removing glasses from a resident’s face and throwing them, and verbally assaulting and spitting at the feet of another resident.

Abrams lost her credential to practice as a nursing assistant last October after using a client’s credit card in May 2012.

Abrams worked for Amber Waves Boarding Home in Waterville. She was accused of making an Internet purchase of $900 that was shipped to her home, using a patient’s credit card without permission. She was also accused of using the credit card at Fred Meyer.