ELIZABETHTOWN — An elderly resident of the Essex Center here allegedly tried to strangle a nurse with a nebulizer cord and shoved her into a closet when told she couldn’t have more cough medicine.
According to State Police, troopers were called to the Essex Center, a nursing home, around 10:45 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 14 for a complaint of harassment.
They discovered that Mary A. Longe, 80, of Elizabethtown, was asking for a nebulizer treatment, but the nurse advised her that it was not yet time for the treatment.
Longe, then wanted cough syrup, police said, but the nurse said she would have to check the time of the last treatment of cough syrup.
Longe then became irritated, police said, and wrapped the nebulizer cord around the nurse’s neck, obstructing the nurse’s airway.
The nurse was able to get her hands under the cord, pulling it away from her neck, police said. Longe then shoved the nurse into a linen closet and started pulling the nurse’s hair.
Other staff members realized the situation and helped the nurse get away from Longe.
The nurse was evaluated at Elizabethtown Community Hospital, but sustained no injuries, police said.
CENTER RESPONDS
Essex Center spokesperson Jeff Jacomowitz said everyone kept calm during the incident.
“We are also happy to say that the nurse did not suffer any injuries,” he said.
“The clinical team also acted professionally in the incident to notify the police when it occurred on Feb. 14.”
Longe was charged with misdemeanor criminal obstruction of breathing, police said. She was released on an appearance ticket for Town of Elizabethtown Court for a later date this month.
The facility has been cooperating fully with State Police, Jacomowitz said.
“Essex Center has been working alongside the State Police in this unfortunate matter,” he said.
“The nurse in question on staff at Essex Center acted professionally, followed proper protocols in relation to this resident and her chart, so not to go against what was called for and documented medically.”
Longe is still a resident at Essex Center, he said.