Nurse's Aide Admits To Abusing Elderly Patient

Attorney General Spitzer today announced that William S. Look, a certified nurse's aide formerly employed at the Stonehedge Health and Rehabilitation Center in Rome, admitted physically abusing an elderly male patient with congestive heart failure and advanced dementia.

Wednesday afternoon, on the day his trial was to start in Rome City Court before Judge Daniel Wilson, Look pleaded guilty as charged to Endangering the Welfare of an Incompetent or Physically Disabled Person and Wilful Violation of the Health Laws.

Judge Wilson set sentencing for April 9. Look faces up to a year in prison. According to the complaint, while assisting another aide in preparing the 76-year-old resident for bed on December 19, 2001, Look pulled the patient from his wheelchair and threw him on the bed with such force that the resident hit his head on the wall next to the bed. Look then grabbed the resident by both arms and forced him into a supine position. While holding the resident's arms against his chest, Look jumped onto the resident's stomach and then placed one of his hands over the resident's mouth, causing a laceration to his inner lip.

During this altercation, Look also physically threatened the resident and yelled expletives at him.

Look, 34, of 171 Tuxedo Trailer Park in Rome, worked at Stonehedge, located at 801 North James Street, from June 1997 to December 19, 2001, when he was terminated after the incident.

Special Assistant Attorney General Ralph D. Tortora, III, Director of the Syracuse Regional Office of the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, prosecuted the case, assisted by Senior Special Investigator Thaddeus S. Kaczor.