Employee Neglected Bedridden Patient for 2 Hours: Police

Police arrested an employee at a group home in Oxford after a patient who called 911 had allegedly been neglected for hours. 

Elisia Rotella, 45, is accused of second-degree reckless endangerment for not administering medical treatment to a bedridden patient who was having a time-sensitive issue, Oxford police said. 

The patient at Employment Options, a home for patients with developmental disabilities and traumatic brain injuries, was supposedly forced to call 911 for an ambulance after they were unable to get the medical attention they needed, police said. 

"We take all of these things very seriously especially people who are in homes and they're more vulnerable than the rest of us," First Selectman George Temple said. 

he Oxford ambulance crew members refused to comment about what they saw. Police say the patient was taken to Waterbury Hospital for evaluation.

"I am worried that many of these places that are housing people have turned into human puppy mills. That's what I call them: human puppy mills. Warehouses for people with brain injuries," said Selectman Kathy Johnson.

Johnson has advocated for brain injury patients because of her son, who was once an outpatient with Employment Options.

"I had some good reasons why I took him out of there," Johnson said.

NBC Connecticut called Employment Options and Rotella for comment but haven't heard back

Rotella posted $500 bail and she's due to appear in court June 27.

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