Nurses Aide Jailed For Striking 89-year Old Nursing Home Resident

Attorney General Spitzer today announced that a Certified Nurses Aide, convicted of physically abusing an 89-year old female resident at a Cheektowaga nursing home has been sentenced to jail for one year.

Teresa Kirkland, 48, of 124 Fay Street in Buffalo was convicted after pleading guilty in March 2005 of willful violation of health laws. She was sentenced on August 23 by Cheektowaga Town Justice Ronald Kmiotek to one year at the Erie County Correctional Facility.

According to the Criminal Information filed in the case, while working at the Elderwood Health Care Center at Maplewood on July 17, 2004, Kirkland punched the elderly resident and forcefully touched her in inappropriate places and in painful ways.

Kirkland was employed at Elderwood Health Care at Maplewood at 225 Bennett Road in Cheektowaga from October 24, 2000 to July 19, 2004, at which time she was fired by the nursing home for her misconduct.

Spitzer thanked the State Department of Health for referring the matter to his office.

Special Assistant Attorney General Laurie Frank, of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit’s Buffalo Regional Office, prosecuted the case. Senior Special Investigator Joseph Coyne assisted in the investigation.