A licensed practical nurse (LPN) at a Louisiana veterans home has been arrested for multiple counts of falsifying documents relating to a resident’s 2015 death. According to the state Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigation, Cheryl A. Poirrier, LPN, is accused of faking records of care after a resident at the Southeast Louisiana War Veterans Home in Reserve, La., fell in his room.

Porrier found the resident on the floor with his wheelchair on top of him. Although the resident had complained of head and neck pain, Porrier failed to conduct the required neuro checks on the resident following the fall. The resident was found dead in his bed approximately eight hours later. Early the following morning, Porrier falsified care reports saying she had performed four neuro checks during the night, the OIG stated.

The Department of Veterans Affairs requires neuro checks at designated times over the course of 72 hours following a resident fall.

“We owe our Veterans the highest degree of professional care,” said Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street in an OIG release. “Ms. Poirrier not only failed to honor that obligation, but made the situation worse by falsifying records to cover up that failure. That can never be tolerated.”

Pamela Tabar was editor-in-chief of I Advance Senior Care from 2013-2018. She has worked as a writer and editor for healthcare business media since 1998, including as News Editor of Healthcare Informatics. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master’s degree in English from the University of York, England.

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