An employee of the Coastal Manor nursing home in Ludowici is being charged with elder abuse following an incident with one of its residents.

According to a Ludowici Police Department incident report, an officer responded April 10 on the report of elder abuse from the day before. An employee told the officer that the suspect approached a 90-year-old resident to take her outside. The employee said that the suspect looked at the 90-year-old woman and said, “You put the hell in health care.”

The employee also said that the patient had been distraught prior to her encounter with the suspect and that after he spoke to her allegedly in an inappropriate manner, it upset her more.

The employee added that as the suspect was pushing the woman in her wheelchair across the threshold of the doorway, he allegedly used enough force to push the wheelchair forward and throw the patient out of the wheelchair and on to the ground, causing a skin tear on one of her legs.

The employee stated that they did not witness the incident but that another employee had observed the encounter and reported it to her supervisor, later making a statement to the police after the initial report had been made to authorities.

The suspect was arrested on April 11 and made bond on $5,000 bail.

The elderly patient also complained of pain to her arm and shoulder.