Police this week charged a 68-year-old patient at a Penn Township personal care home with sexually assaulting another patient.
Daniel Gross is charged with indecent assault in connection with the Dec. 30 incident at Golden Heights Personal Care Home along Route 130.
A nurse’s aide completing patient room checks before the end of her shift discovered Gross missing from his room, Detective Patrick Schwer reported in court documents.
The aide told Schwer she subsequently found Gross in a female hospice patient’s room, where he was on her bed in the process of removing the woman’s clothes. Police said the victim requires assistance getting dressed and undressed.
Schwer reported nursing home officials immediately notified police and have cooperated with the investigation.
Gross cut an interview short when police asked why he was in the victim’s room, Schwer reported.
“I need a lawyer. I can get screwed,” Schwer quoted Gross as telling him.
Michael Haass, owner of Golden Heights, said patient safety is a priority at the care home.
“I was proud of how our staff responded to a very unfortunate and tragic incident. It was immediately reported to police, our administrator immediately responded to the scene to assist and we’ve cooperated fully,” Haass said.
“We take resident safety very seriously here,” he said.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 23.
