A home health aide was indicted for attacking a 95-year-old woman in her care, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said.
Oluwanifemi Aborisade, 26, pled not guilty to charges of assault and endangering the welfare of a vulnerable elderly person in Manhattan Supreme Court, according to state court records.
On July 21, Aborisade, of Queens, is said to have gotten into an argument with the older woman about changing her bedding. Each woman called one of the victim’s granddaughters, sharing stories that contradicted each other, the DA’s office said.
After the suspect hung up the phone, she launched into verbal abuse of the nonagenarian, calling her, among other things, “rude” and “nasty,” prosecutors said.
The assault escalated when Aborisade began to throw items around the home at the victim. The home health aide then walked to the kitchen to grab a pot that she hit the victim in the hand with, the DA’s office said Thursday.
The suspect is also said to have punched the woman, who is nearly 70 years her senior, multiple times, causing the victim to fall to the floor, according to a press release from the district attorney.
Before fleeing and leaving the 95-year-old woman by herself, Aborisade threw garbage and water all over the apartment, the district attorney said.
The home health aide was responsible for 24-hour care of the Harlem woman.
In an online review from two years ago, a woman with the same name as the suspect criticized a home healthcare provider called Care 365, complaining that she was assigned to Harlem while she lived in Long Island, and saying she did not like the coordinator’s communication skills.
“As alleged, Oluwanifemi Aborisade assaulted a vulnerable, 95-year-old woman who depended on her for care,” said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Thursday. “I hope the victim continues to heal from this horrific assault.”
