A 90 year-old Catholic nun was tragically killed after an unsecured closet fell on her head while she was a resident at Summit Park Nursing Care Center, a Rockland County-run nursing home. Sister Mary suffered from dementia and heart disease. The freestanding wardrobe was not bolted to the wall appropriately. She was found unconscious and bleeding from her forehead. Sister Mary died soon after being transported to a nearby hospital.
It was apparently the third time a resident at the facility was injured in an accident involving one of these unsecured closets. Summit Park was fined approximately $17,000 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid as a result of the incident.
Website Resources:
Elderly Nun Dies In Nursing Home Closet Accident, CBS/AP, October 24, 2008.