The husband of a Connecticut visiting nurse who was killed during an appointment with a convicted rapist filed a wrongful death lawsuit Monday, claiming her employer repeatedly ignored employees’ safety concerns while treating dangerous patients.
Ronald Grayson sued Elara Caring, its subsidiaries and others for the murder of his wife. Joyce Grayson, a 63-year-old mother of six who was found dead within the basement of a Willimantic residence on Oct. 28. She was strangled and suffered multiple blunt force injuries, authorities said. Elara Caring of Dallas, Texas, denies the allegations.
“In the years prior to October 28, 2023, employees of Elara Caring affiliates experienced multiple, repeated instances of being verbally, physically, and sexually harassed, assaulted, assaulted, yelled at, chased, threatened, hit, kicked, grabbed, and brushed “against mentally unstable and/or violent patients of Elara Caring,” says the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages.
Instead of addressing nurses’ concerns, the lawsuit says, the corporate encouraged employees to deal with increasing profitability while nurses were “chastised, shamed and gaslighted into believing they were overreacted.” Staff were “obliged to treat patients who were dangerous, mentally unstable and often unsuitable for home care,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit, filed in Middletown Superior Court, also accuses the corporate of failing to implement a policy that permits chaperones or other staff to accompany nurses once they visit potentially dangerous customers.
“Joyce Grayson’s death was entirely preventable and those who failed to protect her from a violent criminal should be held accountable,” said Kelly Reardon, an attorney for Grayson’s family.
Elara Caring described the allegations as “unfounded” in a press release released on Monday. The company says it provides home care to greater than 60,000 patients in 17 states.
Joyce Grayson had an appointment that morning to manage medication to Michael Reese. Reese, who was on probation after serving 14 years in prison for stabbing and sexually assaulting a girl in New Haven in 2006, is charged with murder and other crimes within the death of the nurse. His lawyers didn’t return messages in search of comment.
Elara reiterated previous comments, saying Connecticut officials have concluded Reese poses no threat to the community and are accountable for monitoring and managing his activities.
“Elara Caring provided its services only after the Department of Corrections, the Connecticut Board of Pardons and Parole, and the judiciary determined that it was safe to reinstate Reese into the community,” the statement said. “Joyce Grayson was a trusted friend, colleague and mentor. We remain devastated and upset by their loss.”
The killing sparked calls for stronger protections for home care employees in Connecticut and across the country. Connecticut lawmakers are currently considering a bill that may improve safety for health care employees.
Grayson’s family can be in search of permission to sue the state Department of Corrections, which oversees probation, and the Department of Corrections for $25 million in reference to their supervision of Reese. Justice declined to comment and the Department of Corrections didn’t reply to messages. Anyone who desires to sue the state needs the consent of the claims commissioner and the legislature.
The lawsuit also names The Connection, which runs a community treatment program on the nursing home where Grayson was killed. The provider didn’t need to comment on the allegations within the lawsuit.
“The death of Joyce Grayson was a senseless crime and The Connection continues to mourn her immeasurable loss,” it said in a press release. “We will ensure that the legal process addresses the causes of this tragedy.”
Last week, the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed a tremendous of roughly $161,000 against Elara Caring after discovering that the corporate had didn’t protect Grayson.
