Mannford Nursing Home Workers Accused Of Patient Abuse

Mannford police are investigating what the police chief calls a disturbing case of nursing home abuse.
 
Police Chief Lucky Miller says his department received a tip that some caretakers at the Cimarron Pointe Nursing Home were abusing patients in their care.
 
Miller says the abuse was reported to the Department of Human Services through email on May 20, 2019. But Miller says his department was never contacted by DHS, which is protocol.
 
He says because police weren’t notified, seven residents endured months of abuse that could have been stopped in May.
 
Officers arrested Senite Smith, one of four suspects, Thursday. Miller says he and investigators confirmed the abuse through pictures, text messages and an interview with Smith.
 
An arrest affidavit says Senite Smith, a certified nursing assistant, took a selfie showing a nude, elderly man lying in the background. The court document says Smith sent a text message of the picture saying he was high and noted to look at the man’s private parts.
 
The affidavit says there were two other pictures showing a man’s bloody head with message indicating he’d pushed him in the shower. The arrest affidavit shows Smith also texted he liked the smell of blood.
 
The affidavit shows Smith told investigators we was attempting to be edgy and the man had actually fallen down and cut his head. But the court document says Smith admitted to slapping and cussing one elderly man and being rough while cleaning an elderly woman.
 
The arrest affidavit says Smith told investigators he saw other employees abusing elderly residents.
 
Nursing home owner Frank Sullivan, Jr. said in a written statement that within two hours of hearing the specific allegations, they reported them to the Department of Human Services and Adult Protective Services.
 
He said nothing in the prehire history of the workers suggested they were potential threats to residents. All have been fired and told not to return to the building.
 
“Of the four persons accused, three were employed by us as late as yesterday afternoon. The fourth employee was terminated sometime ago for speaking harshly and profanely to a resident. There have been no complaints about the remaining three employees who are involved and who were terminated yesterday.”
 
“As a result of this event, we will be more vigilant and more protective and will install new protocol in an effort to prevent acts such as these from ever happening again," Sullivan said.
 
The affidavit says Smith described one worker as sadistic.

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