Caregiver Punches, Kicks 84-Year-Old Woman (Video)

By Sean Kelly, Thu, May 21, 2015

 

Footage of a caregiver punching and kicking an elderly woman at a nursing home sparked controversy after quickly going viral.

The video was reportedly captured at the Berea Gardens Retirement Foundation Lily Kirchmann home in East London, with the 84-year-old woman later identified as Hope Shepherd. Shepherd was shown in the clip being hit and pushed by her caregiver as she seemingly tried to get Shepherd into her bed. According to reports, Shepherd was attempting to leave her bed and the caregiver was preventing her from doing so.

Shepherd began trying to fight back, which prompted the caregiver to elbow her in the back and head. The situation later became tense as the caregiver started punching Shepherd in the face and pulling her hair.

The caregiver, who was identified as Ncendiswa Mkencele, was fired by the nursing home and is currently the subject of a police investigation.

Though Mkencele expressed regret for the way she handled the situation, she claimed that Shepherd provoked her by throwing feces in her face and using racial slurs against her. The 84-year-old, according to her family, suffers from dementia and acknowledged that there have been complaints about her from staff regarding physical violence against them.

Mkencele could reportedly face charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The investigation is ongoing.

Full Article & Source:
Caregiver Punches, Kicks 84-Year-Old Woman (Video)