A former nurse’s aide in Indiana has been arrested after she allegedly attacked multiple patients, including a 95-year-old woman who died just days after she was allegedly assaulted.
Denise Beard has been charged with one count of neglect of a dependent resulting in death and four counts of battery against a disabled person following a series of alleged incidents that took place at two different care facilities, according to The Times of Northwest Indiana.
An investigation into Beard, 54, was launched after a registered nurse reported hearing “screaming” coming from a patient’s room at Munster Med Inn on the evening of December 14, 2025, according to a probable cause affidavit viewed by the Chicago Tribune.
The nurse entered the room and found Beard pushing patient Laura Stump in a wheelchair too close to the side of a bed. Stump’s skin was reportedly torn from her arm and hand following the incident.
The incident took place after Beard was reportedly moved to that floor earlier in the evening after she had a dispute with another coworker. Stump’s daughter arrived at the facility later that night and the elderly woman claimed that Beard punched her, grabbed her arm and shook her repeatedly.
Beard also allegedly got in the 95-year-old’s face and stated, “You’re a racist old white bitch” and “You don’t like Blacks or Mexicans,” according to WGN.
“You hurt me. You called me names and you tore my skin,” Stump allegedly told Beard, per the report.
Two days after Stump and Beard had the altercation, Stump suffered a “debilitating” stroke and ultimately died on December 23, 2025.
An investigation was launched into the December 14, 2025, altercation, and more alleged victims came forward. One woman claimed that Beard called her a “smelly bitch,” punched her in the forehead and slapped the woman’s roommate.
Additionally, an 80-year-old male resident accused Beard of abuse. He claimed that she flipped him off and threw a water bottle in his face when he was unable to follow her instructions to lower his bed.
Investigators learned that Beard had been terminated from the South Shore Health and Rehabilitation Center two months before the December 2025 incident, according to the Chicago Tribune. Prior to her termination, Beard was suspected of calling a resident “lazy” and stating that “if he fell from the bed, she wasn’t going to pick his big (expletive) up.”
A 95-year-old resident at the South Shore facility was found with a welt on her cheek and a swollen lip on October 6, 2025, and accused Beard of repeatedly hitting her. Beard denied the claims, according to reports.
Shalom Menora, CEO of Sterling Healthcare, told The Times of Northwest Indiana that Beard was immediately suspended and was ultimately fired when she refused to cooperate amid the investigation.
“We reported the allegation to the state and started an investigation immediately,” he said. “Since it was in a patient room, there are no cameras and since she was the only person there, there was no way to verify anything.”
Beard is currently in custody on $40,000 bond and she is next scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, May 12.
It is not currently clear if Beard has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following her arrest. The Gary Police Department did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the case.
If you are experiencing elder abuse or suspect someone you know is, you can call the Eldercare Locator at (800) 677-1116 and speak to a specially trained operator who can refer you to a local agency that can help. The Eldercare Locator accepts calls Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
