March 27, 2025

Family Files Lawsuit Claiming Mobile County Nursing Home of Covering Up Sexual Abuse

GRAND BAY, Ala.
By Dale Hines

Blue RAM Media
March 27, 2025

A family in Grand Bay is speaking out after they say that their special needs daughter has been sexually abused, and little has been done about it.

Now, the family has filed a lawsuit against the healthcare facility where the women has lived claiming abuse, sexual assault and neglect.

Melanie Ellinger’s daughter, Alexis, was born with a rare genetic disorder called Phelan-McDermid syndrome. She can’t walk or talk and has epileptic seizures. She is completely dependent on her caregivers, her mother said.

Ellinger says Alexis moved to a facility called Arabella Health and Wellness of Grand Bay when she was 18. It was close to where her mother lived and convenient to be able to visit her daughter.

According to a civil lawsuit the family filed against the facility, while visiting this past December, Ellinger’s husband witnessed a male resident across the hall sexually gratifying himself as he stared into Alexis’ room. The lawsuit states they notified staff who apologized and closed the door. Ellinger says they were concerned that the staff had moved Alexis across the hall from him and away from the nurse’s station.

In January, the mother said that they received a call from the facility during the late-night hours stating that the same male resident naked, and in bed with Alexis and touching her.
Ellinger says even though her daughter can’t tell her what happened, she knows her daughter was upset afterward.

Attorney Robert Hedge, the family’s attorney, said that the facility failed to protect the patient and allowed the situation to happen but not taking appropriate actions when the male first witnessed pleasuring himself while watching Alexis.
Hedge says that the nursing home should’ve taken steps to make sure the male resident couldn’t access Alexis’ room.

The lawsuit also alleges the facility didn’t notify authorities immediately, downplayed what happened, and didn’t promptly take Alexis to the hospital for a sexual assault examination.

“Where there are allegations of sexual abuse, and here, clearly, we have a witness saying there’s potential sex, sexual abuse here, that time is important,” said Hedge.
The family has now placed a caregiver with their daughter 24 hours a day.

As for criminal charges, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office has not commented on that.