Court records said Fay Gohl, 55, was a live-in caretaker who is accused of stealing more than $37,000 from the elderly man.
"It was her responsibility to provide for him and to provide care to him that was he was dependent upon," Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull said.
Mull said the 80-year-old man was partially paralyzed and relied on Gohl for help.
"There was neglect of him that was occurring that involved him not having the proper care taken of him, the proper hygiene-type issues," Mull said.
A probable cause affidavit said Gohl left the man in his soiled bed for hours without changing his urine-soaked clothes.
Investigators believe the neglect had been going on for about a year.
Gohl is also accused of signing the man's name on checks she wrote to herself and her family members, leaving his bills unpaid.
"Over and over I have seen individuals take advantage of the trust that they have in those situations," Mull said.
Over the last three years, Mull said his office has seen an increase in the number of elderly abuse cases it's prosecuted.
He said they hired an additional investigator about two years ago to help.
Since July 1, 2017, the Clark County Adult Protective Services unit has received about 700 calls for neglect, exploitation and physical or financial abuse of a dependent adult, according to an investigator from the unit.
The calls come from four counties in Southern Indiana.
"We are investigating more of those cases and we are anticipating filing more criminal charges against individuals who engage in this behavior," Mull said.
A judge set Gohl's bond at $7,500.
She's scheduled to be back in court in April.
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Southern Indiana caretaker accused of neglecting elderly man
1 comment:
More prosecutions for elder abuse, please!
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