A nursing assistant has been indicted on charges of assaulting and abusing an elderly Alzheimer's patient at a New Hampshire nursing home.
New Hampshire Attorney General Joseph Foster announced Wednesday that Timothy Morrissey of Manchester has been indicted by a Hillsborough County grand jury on charges of simple assault and abuse of a facility patient. Both charges are misdemeanors and carry sentences of 2 to 5 years in state prison.
The indictments allege that Morrissey, while working at Bel-Air Nursing Home in Goffstown, "knowingly caused unprivileged physical contact to a 79-year-old resident with dementia" on Oct. 31.
He had his nursing assistant's license revoked last month after allegations surfaced that he sexually assaulted the nursing home resident, who reportedly suffers from Alzheimer's and dementia.
A co-worker allegedly walked in on Morrissey assaulting the elderly resident on the morning of Oct. 31, according to Board of Nursing documents released by the attorney general. The co-worker told Morrissey to stop, and Morrissey reportedly responded by saying, "This is the most embarrassing thing in my life."
The incident was then reported to a supervisor, who met with Morrissey. He allegedly admitted to the accusations and said, "I know it's sick - I need help."
Morrissey has been fired from his job at Bel-Air Nursing Home.
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He is scheduled to be arraigned in Hillsborough County Superior Court on Dec. 18.