Worker Assaulted Nursing Home Patient, Sprayed Them With Bleach In Cherry Hill: AG

Update: This article now includes additional context and identifies where the suspect worked.

CHERRY HILL, NJ — A Cherry Hill nursing home employee was indicted after abusing a patient, authorities said Friday.

Simone Goldsboro sprayed the victim's face and body with bleach, causing serious bodily injury, according to the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General (OAG). She also "purposely or recklessly" injured the victim by aggressively undressing her and pulling her hair, the agency said.

Goldsboro, 34, of Camden, was charged Aug. 17 with aggravated assault. A grand jury has indicted her for the offense, the OAG said Friday.

Goldsboro was working at Dwellside Care & Rehab in Cherry Hill, according to court documents that Patch obtained. Police responded to the nursing home and met with a patient's daughter, who claimed that an employee was routinely assaulting their parent, the affidavit says.

The patient's daughter claimed that she saw Goldsboro being rough with the victim and spraying a liquid onto them. She also showed law enforcement a video depicting Goldsboro pulling the victim's hair, pulling a shirt over her head and face and spraying the liquid directly onto the patient's face and body, authorities said.

During an interview with law enforcement, Goldsboro denied intent but admitted that the spray bottle of bleach was't authorized for the patient's room, the affidavit says.

Her currently employment status wasn't immediately clear. Autumn Lake Healthcare, which manages the facility, did not immediately return Patch's inquiry.

Saturday marks World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. One in 6 people aged 60 or older experience some type of abuse, whether it's psychological, physical, financial, sexual or other forms of neglect, the OAG said.

If you see or suspect elder abuse, please report it to the Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Financial Exploitation hotline at 609-292-1272.