VIDEO: Bergen Nurse Accused Of Beating Bed-Bound Patient: Attorney General

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A caregiver and former nurse has been charged with assault for allegedly striking a bed-bound, 23-year-old disabled man after his mother installed a camera to record the abuse.

Dorothea Harvilik, 64, of Saddle River, was charged with fourth-degree assault after a state Grand Jury handed down an indictment against her, said Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino.

She allegedly struck the defenseless patient and wrenched his head while tending to him, authorities said.

The man's mother suspected her son was being mistreated and installed a camera to catch Harvilik in the act, Porrino said.

The State Board of Nursing permanently revoked Harvilik's nursing license in November after viewing the video. She faces a maximum of 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine if convicted.

“As this indictment shows, hidden cameras not only expose patient abuse, they can provide the ‘smoking-gun’ evidence that helps bring abusers to justice.”

The video of the abuse, along with other examples, led the creation of New Jersey's Safe Care Cam program, which offers micro-surveillance cameras for free to residents who suspect a loved one is being mistreated by an in-home caregiver.

Harvilik's is the third caregiver in recent weeks charged with abusing a patient.

Adeline Philippe, 47, of Orange, a former certified nurse aide, was indicted in February on fourth-degree assault upon an institutionalized elderly person. She allegedly struck and scratched a 76-year-old dementia patient she was caring for the New Jersey Fireman’s Home in Boonton in 2016, Porrino said.

Philippe's certification was suspended after her employer notified state officials about the alleged and fired her.

Cairy Chrisphonte, 54, another former nurse aide, was also charged with fourth-degree assault upon an institutionalized elderly person after co-workers allegedly saw her strike an 87-year-old dementia patient in the head and arm at the Daughters of Miriam nursing home in Clifton in January.

"The allegations against these defendants shock the conscience. All three are accused of physically assaulting the very people they were entrusted to protect and care for," said Christopher Iu, acting insurance fraud prosecutor. “Through our vigorous prosecution of these cases, we are doing our part to advance New Jersey’s ongoing efforts to safeguard its most vulnerable citizens — the elderly and the disabled — from caregivers heartless enough to abuse them when no one is looking.”

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Photos: Dorothea Harvilik, Adeline Philippe and Cairy Crisphonte. New Jersey Attorney General's Office