Iowa caregivers are fired for alleged abuse and workplace misconduct

Several Iowa nursing home workers have been fired in recent months due to allegations of patient abuse and other forms of workplace misconduct.

Among the cases is that of Amanda Hanrahan, who worked as a certified nursing assistant for the Lone Tree Health Care Center in Johnson County from 2024 until August of this year, when she was discharged for allegedly verbally abusing a resident.

According to the findings of Administrative Law Judge Carly Smith, who recently presided over a state hearing on Hanrahan’s request for unemployment benefits, Hanrahan was working at the facility on July 28, 2026, when she had to respond to a resident’s call light on several occasions.

At one point, Hanrahan allegedly told the resident to “stop messing with the call button” because there were other residents who actually needed assistance, adding, “I’m done f—ing with you tonight.” Another CNA reported the incident to the charge nurse, and Hanrahan was fired.

Recently, Smith ruled Hanrahan was ineligible for unemployment benefits due to workplace misconduct. “Swearing at a resident due to them requesting repeated assistance is disqualifying misconduct, and benefits are denied,” Smith ruled, ordering Hanrahan to repay the $2,076 in benefits already collected.

The Iowa Capital Dispatch was not able to reach Hanrahan for comment.

Other Iowa caregivers whose unemployment cases were recently decided include:

— Haley Sly, who worked as a certified medication aide at Accura Health Care nursing facility in Cascade until her dismissal in April of this year. On April 23, 2026, Sly had allegedly asked a resident come to the dining area to eat dinner, and the resident refused. A certified nursing assistant at the home allegedly saw Sly grab the resident and pull them up out of their chair and then forcibly direct them to the dining table. The CNA reported the incident to a charge nurse, and the resident was then given a physical examination that indicated they had sustained “substantial bruising” in the incident. Sly was fired that same day.

Administrative Law Judge Elizabeth Johnson recently ruled Sly was ineligible for unemployment benefits, citing “credible testimony establishing that claimant tried to physically force a resident to attend a meal,” which Johnson called “abusive and in deliberate disregard of the duty of care that she owed to this particular individual.” Sly has been ordered to repay the $3,570 in benefits already collected.

The Iowa Capital Dispatch was not able to reach Sly for comment.

— Bobby Jo Eck, who worked as a certified nursing assistant for Parker Creek Healthcare’s Spencer Post Acute Rehabilitation Center until her dismissal in July of this year. According to the recent findings of the judge who presided over Eck’s unemployment-benefits hearing, Eck was fired by her superiors after they concluded she was sleeping on the job, did not complete her training, conducted an unauthorized procedure of some kind on a patient and changed one patient’s diet without authorization.

Administrative Law Judge Daniel Zeno recently ruled Eck was eligible for unemployment benefits due to her employer failing to provide fair warning that her job was in jeopardy.

The Iowa Capital Dispatch was not able to reach Eck for comment.

— Susan McMullen, who worked as a certified nursing assistant for the Tripoli Nursing & Rehabilitation Center of Bremer County until her dismissal in August of this year. According to the recent findings of the judge who presided over McMullen’s unemployment-benefits hearing, McMullen was accused of taking excessive breaks and was captured on video not beginning to work her shift until 49 minutes after she’d clocked in. In one shift, she allegedly remained on break for more than 100 minutes, had previously been warned for not answering call lights, for “hanging out at the nurses’ station” even when residents’ call lights were flashing and for ignoring call lights altogether.

Administrative Law Judge Blair Bennett recently ruled McMullen was eligible for unemployment benefits after finding that the final incident that brought about her discharge — taking excessive breaks — did not constitute disqualifying misconduct because she had not been previously warned about such behavior.

The Iowa Capital Dispatch was not able to reach McMullen for comment.

— Patricia Williams, who worked as a certified nursing assistant for Eagle Point Nursing and Rehabilitation until her dismissal in July of this year. She was fired for allegedly using foul language in speaking about a resident despite previous warnings for that same offense. Prior to her dismissal, a resident of the home had asked that Wiliams not provide any care for him as she was too rough in handling him. Shortly thereafter, Williams was overheard by the resident and several co-workers complaining that she was “sick of mother——s lying on me.”

Administrative Law Judge Blair Bennett recently ruled Williams was ineligible for unemployment benefits, finding that Williams “knew that foul language would not be allowed, and let her emotions get the better of her in front of residents and coworkers.”

The Iowa Capital Dispatch was not able to reach Williams for comment.

Fantasia Gaddy, who worked as a medication manager for Grand Meadows Senior Living & Health Care in Asbury from May 2024 until her dismissal in June of this year. According to the recent findings of the judge who presided over Gaddy’s unemployment-benefits hearing, Gaddy was issued a warning in November 2025 for a medication error and another warning in February 2026 for an altercation she had with a coworker. In April 2026, a coworker reported finding unadministered medications in two residents’ rooms, as well as unadministered medications by the computer at the nursing station.

During the home’s subsequent investigation of the matter, it was discovered that Gaddy had an outstanding warrant for her arrest and had been incarcerated. Court records indicate the warrant was tied to a charge of being a fugitive from justice, which was in turn tied to a Wisconsin charge of first-degree reckless injury. Gaddy was fired on June 3, 2026.

Administrative Law Judge Carly Smith ruled recently that Gaddy is eligible for unemployment benefits, finding that her employer did not inform her she was under investigation and didn’t take final action in the matter until several weeks had passed.

The Iowa Capital Dispatch was not able to reach Gaddy for comment.