Patient Dies After Slipping from Hydraulic Lift as Nursing Home Worker Tried to Move Them Alone
Inset: Diamond Johnson (Louisiana State Attorney General's Office). Background: The Jefferson Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Baton Rouge, La., where Diamond Johnson allegedly killed a patient while operating a hydraulic lift by herself (Google Maps).
A Louisiana nursing assistant has been indicted after a tragic incident at a Baton Rouge nursing home left a patient dead. Prosecutors say the worker attempted to use a hydraulic lift alone to move the patient from a chair to a bed, resulting in fatal injuries.
According to the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, the patient “slipped out the side of the sling, landing on the feet of the lift,” and later died from blunt force trauma. The attorney general’s office confirmed that an autopsy determined the death was caused by “complications of blunt force injuries due to a fall from a patient lift.”
Diamond Johnson, a former certified nursing assistant at Jefferson Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, has been charged with negligent homicide. She was employed at the facility in June 2024 when the fatal accident occurred.
State Attorney General Liz Murrill announced the indictment in a statement last week, acknowledging the sensitivity of the case. “These cases are very difficult,” she said. “My job as attorney general is to protect the citizens of this state — especially those who can’t protect themselves.”
A grand jury convened on October 2 to review the evidence and returned an indictment against Johnson, who was later booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. The investigation was conducted by Murrill’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, which handles cases involving abuse and neglect in care facilities.
“The grand jury felt, as we did, that Ms. Johnson was negligent in the care she provided to the victim, who unfortunately lost her life as a result of that negligence,” Murrill stated.
Jefferson Manor describes itself as a facility committed to improving the quality of life for its residents. Its website says, “We believe that all our residents deserve to be treated with respect and dignity,” emphasizing individualized care for each resident’s needs.
The center did not respond to media requests for comment.
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