Randolph Killing Underscores Dilemma For Nursing Homes

RANDOLPH, MA - OCTOBER 3: The exterior of the CareOne nursing home in Randolph, MA is pictured on Oct. 3, 2017. One resident of the facility allegedly beat his 86-year-old roommate over the head with a heavy ceramic flower pot as the victim lay in bed on Sept. 5. James Schappell, an Army veteran who served in the Korean War, died the following day of severe head trauma. The case marks the second time in two years that CareOne has faced sharp criticism after a younger resident killed an older one at one of its Massachusetts nursing homes. The deaths highlight a troubling nationwide pattern of violent and sometimes deadly confrontations between nursing home residents, among them cases in which younger, stronger men attack and sometimes kill their older, more frail roommates. The attacks frequently involve people suffering from dementia or mental illness, separated by generations and living in close quarters with each other. (Photo by David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)