A former LPN at Split Rock Nursing Home in the Bronx was indicted last week on charges of abuse at the nursing home. A video of the incident, which occurred in February 2012, allegedly shows the nurse, Lennox Seymour, pushing and punching a disabled resident of the Bronx nursing home. The video, which has not been made public, is currently in the possession of the Attorney General’s office.
Seymour was charged with endangering the welfare of an elderly person and falsifying a report. The indictment alleged that the incident report that he filed was contrary to the evidence displayed by the video. Upon reviewing the tape of the incident, Split Rock took immediate action and fired Seymour.
In a statement from the Attorney General’s office, AG Eric Schneiderman issued what has become a familiar refrain from him in cases of nursing home abuse: “My office will punish those who commit crimes against our most vulnerable neighbors.” Schneiderman, thus far, has been true to his word, as instances of criminal charges being brought in nursing home abuse cases seem to have become more frequent recently. Hopefully the Attorney General’s strong words and actions will serve as a deterrent to would-be abusers in the future. He has put nursing home staff on notice that abuse can and may be punished individually, and not just at the facility level.
More on this story can be found at CBS New York.