Tarrytown Nursing Home Aide Gets Manslaughter Charge

Maureen Flowers will now face charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide for the 2012 death of an 86-year-old patient under her care at the Tarrytown Hall Care Center.

The charges against the 54-year-old Bronx woman were upgraded during a court appearance on Wednesday. If convicted, she could spend up to 15 years in state prison.

“Because of this aide’s disregard of basic safety measures and precautions meant to protect the vulnerable seniors she served, a woman died,” said State Attorney General Schneiderman, in a press release.

Flowers was originally, and still is, charged with endangering the welfare of a vulnerable elderly person, or an incompetent or physically disabled person in the first degree, a class D felony, which could get her up to seven years in state prison if convicted. She was also charged with falsifying business records in the first degree, a class E felony, with a possible four years in jail if convicted.

She is accused of using a mechanical lift to transfer the patient from her bed to a wheelchair by herself, despite her training and knowledge that the machine requires two people to operate it properly. 

The 86-year-old patient fell to the floor during the transfer causing fractures to her spine and right leg, a broken nose and bruising to her face. She died two-hours later at Westchester Medical Center.

Investigators say that instead of getting help for the bleeding elderly woman on the floor, she first coerced co-worker Donna Pagan into lying. The pair told supervisors and stated in medical records that they were both operating the lift. 

Pagan was originally charged with falsifying business records in the first degree, but plead guilty to falsifying business records in the second degree, a misdemeanor, on March 20. She was sentenced to three years probation. 

“The egregious lack of care afforded this frail resident warrants the serious charges against this aide,” said Schneiderman. “It is my office’s duty and obligation to investigate and prosecute those that place our seniors at risk.”