Denise Elaine Beard, 54, a nurse’s aide, is accused of multiple acts of battery against elderly residents in Lake County, according to court documents.
According to the probable cause affidavit, an investigation was conducted into a series of reported incidents involving Beard at Munster Med Inn and South Shore Health and Rehabilitation.
On December 14, 2025, in the late evening hours at Munster Med Inn in the 7900 block of Calumet Avenue, a Staff Nurse reported she “heard screaming coming from the room of a 95-year-old resident.” When she looked into the room, she observed Beard “pushing the resident who was in her wheelchair past the end of a bed.” The affidavit states, “the resident’s wheelchair which Beard was pushing was too close to the end of the bed and the resident’s arm dug across the end of the bed causing the skin on the arm and hand to tear away.”
The nurse further reported Beard “had never worked on the 2nd floor before” and “had been moved off of the 3rd floor for the evening after having an issue with another employee,” and that Beard “was upset about having moved.”
A family member reported the resident told her “that the tear of her skin had been caused by an aide who grabbed her right arm and shook her repeatedly.” The affidavit states the aide then got in her face and stated, “You’re a racist old white bitch. You don’t like Blacks or Mexicans” and that the aide “struck her with her fist multiple times on her arms.” She also observed redness to the resident’s face.
The affidavit states Beard approached the family member and “falsely identified herself as ‘Kimberly’.” When they entered the room together, the resident told Beard, “you hurt me, you called me names, and you tore my skin.”
The affidavit states Beard “denied this and claimed that the skin tear had happened when she assisted [the resident] from the toilet,” then “changed her statement and stated the tear probably occurred when she assisted [the resident] into bed,” and later “stated that [the resident] probably did it to herself.”
According to the affidavit, days later the resident “suffered a totally debilitating stroke” and later “died as a result of her stroke.”
An autopsy documented “a 1/2” X 1” contusion in the area of the right forearm, two skin tears on the right forearm one being 1” X 3” and another being 1 1/2” X 4”,” and “a 1” by 1” red abrasion on the right side of the face.” The death was determined to be the result of a stroke.
Additional residents reported separate incidents.
One resident reported Beard called her a “smelly bitch” multiple times and stated, “I don’t know why I do this stupid job” before Beard “punched her in the forehead with a closed fist.” The resident also stated she could hear Beard “slapping” her roommate behind a curtain.
An 80-year-old resident reported Beard “snatched the bed control from his hand,” called him a “bitch”, “put both of her middle fingers up in his face,” and “threw water in his face.”
In a separate incident on October 6, 2025 at South Shore Health and Rehabilitation in the 300 block of Tyler Street in Gary, a 95-year-old resident stated Beard “hit me with her fists on my face, back, legs, and arms.” Staff observed “a welt on the right cheek along with bruising and swelling to the lip.”
According to the affidavit, after that incident, Beard “became extremely upset and attempted to fight another employee,” and staff believed she “was under the influence of an unknown substance.”
Employment records show Beard was employed at South Shore from September 10, 2025 until October 8, 2025, and had previously been suspended after calling a resident “lazy” and stating, “if he fell from bed, she wasn’t going to pick his big ass up.”
Lodged in the Lake County Jail on May 4,2026.
Charges filed May 4,2026:
Battery Against a Disabled Person (Level 6 Felony) – 4 Counts
