The certified nurse aid agreed to surrender her license while the investigation continues.
TRENTON -- A nursing home aide arrested and charged with assaulting a 73-year-old patient in a wheelchair has agreed to temporarily surrender her state Board of Nursing license until the case is over, Attorney General Christopher Porrino announced Monday.
Debra L. Matela, 43, was arrested on Feb. 26 and charged with simple assault for "causing" a 73-year-old patient with mental illness to fall from her wheelchair at the Northbrook Behavioral Health Hospital in Blackwood, according to Porrino's statement and the nursing board's suspension order.
Matela, a resident of the Turnersville section of Washington Township, "desires to resolve this matter on an interim basis without formal disciplinary proceedings, and agrees to voluntarily surrender her certificate without making admissions and without prejudicing her ability to defend any criminal action against her," according to the March 22 order.
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"Certified homemaker-home health aides spend long stretches alone with patients, many of whom cannot fend for themselves. It is imperative that they be held to the highest professional standards possible," said Steve Lee, director of the Division of Consumer Affairs under the Attorney General's Office.
"Until these disturbing allegations are resolved, this individual will be prohibited from working as a certified home healthcare provider."
A woman who answered the telephone at Matela's home hung up when a reporter called seeking comment.
Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
