According to the Melrose Free Press, a nurse aid at EPOCH Senior Health Care was charged with elder abuse for allegedly punching and pushing an 83-year old resident that has Alzheimer’s disease. According to the newspaper article the victim’s roommate witnessed the incident which occurred in September 2008. Here is an excerpt form the story:
Melrose – UPDATED MONDAY, AUG. 17 AT 4:54 P.M.:A former certified nurse aide at Melrose’s EPOCH Senior Healthcare nursing home was arraigned in Malden District Court yesterday on charges that she punched and pushed down an 83-year-old resident of the nursing home who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.
Jill Butterworth, spokeswoman for the state Attorney General’s Office, said the alleged assault took place on Sept. 17, 2008. The victim got out of her bed at the nursing home, located at 15 Green St. in Melrose, around 4 a.m., according to a press release from the Attorney General’s Office, and began to wander around her room.
The CEO of EPOCH Senior Health Care issued a statement which reads in part (full text here, scroll down):
“We are appalled by these allegations. We have from the start, and will continue to fully cooperate with the attorney general’s office to assist with the investigation and prosecution, and if these allegations are true, we want the individual convicted and appropriately punished.
“Immediately upon learning of the allegations in September 2008, we took all the appropriate actions. EPOCH immediately suspended the employee and notified the authorities. Upon completion of our internal investigation, the employee was terminated. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health conducted an investigation at EPOCH of Melrose and did not find any deficiencies in how EPOCH handled the situation.
