Fired caregiver accused of patient abuse

BOARDMAN — Police, members of the U.S. Marshals Task Force and an investigator for the Ohio Department of Health arrested a 24-year-old Youngstown woman, accused of patient abuse.

Lillian Talley was arrested Thursday at her Canfield Road apartment on a warrant issued by township police.

Last November, a 71-year-old resident of Ron Joy Nursing Home reported that she had been assaulted by a nurse’s aide at the facility.

The woman, who speaks Spanish, told police she was in her room Nov. 27 when she asked Talley to change her bed sheets. The woman said she was waving her arms at Talley, trying to communicate what she wanted, a police report said.

Talley grabbed the woman by both hands and pushed her backward several feet up against a wall and then left the room, the woman told police. The woman suffered bruises to her hands.

Felix Savon, owner and administrator at Ron Joy, said that Talley was fired after the allegation was made. The facility reported the allegation to the state.

“It is our policy that whenever there is an allegation of abuse, that person is taken off of the [work] schedule immediately,” Savon said.

Talley’s preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 17 in Mahoning County Court.