Social media erupts: Kentucky mom hidden camera caught abuse of nonverbal son

by Victoria Garnes

(KTAL/KMSS) — A Louisville mother is going viral on social media after she says a hidden camera placed in her nonverbal autistic son’s hair captured a school employee physically and verbally abusing the child inside a classroom.

The allegations surfaced this week after mother Tiphanee Lee shared videos, screenshots and emotional posts on Facebook, claiming she secretly sent her son, Semaj’ Lee, to school with a recording device after becoming suspicious about how staff at Field Elementary School were treating him.

According to Lee, the footage and audio allegedly captured a teacher’s assistant yelling at the child, using racial slurs and physically assaulting him while the boy cried out. Lee said she decided to use the hidden camera after school officials repeatedly described her son as “aggressive,” behavior she said did not match what she saw at home. Lee hid the camera in her son’s hair.

The posts quickly gained traction online, with thousands of shares, comments and reactions pouring in across Facebook, Instagram and other platforms. Many social media users expressed outrage, calling for criminal charges, staff accountability and increased protections for children with disabilities.

According to a letter shared online from Jefferson County Public Schools, district officials said Child Protective Services and district investigators began looking into the allegations on May 13. The district also said the staff member at the center of the investigation has been reassigned while the investigation continues.

Lee has vowed to continue speaking out and says she wants justice not only for her son, but for other children who may be unable to speak for themselves. 

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Social media erupts: Kentucky mom hidden camera caught abuse of nonverbal son 

Care workers caught by hidden camera abusing elderly woman with dementia

Care workers were caught abusing an elderly woman with dementia after her granddaughters installed a hidden camera in her bedroom. 

Four carers have been charged with ill-treatment and wilful neglect thanks to footage collected by sisters Danielle and Rebecca Hinsley, who installed the camera in Beryl Wall’s Wolverhampton care home. 

They had become suspicious after noting that Mrs Wall’s behaviour had changed and she had bruises on her body.

Source:
Care workers caught by hidden camera abusing elderly woman with dementia

Hidden camera reveals abuse by care home staff of dementia patient Ann King

When Ann King, 88, faced worsening dementia, her children considered a dozen care homes and carefully picked Reigate Grange, part of the Signature Senior Lifestyle chain, with annual fees close to £100,000. 

Within months, however, they began to worry their mother was being neglected as she began asking them if they were going to throw her out of bed, or the window. The family installed a covert camera on King's bedside table that revealed harrowing abuse. 

 They have shared some of the footage with the Guardian in the hope of exposing such practices; something they say their mother, a former nurse, would have wanted. Signature apologised to the family and insisted the ''reprehensible' behaviour was 'committed by rogue individuals'.

Source:
Hidden camera reveals abuse by care home staff of dementia patient Ann King

Woman arrested after hidden camera shows she abused 87-year-old patient

Mayte Todd-Molina is accused of abusing an 87-year-old patient at an assisted living facility in Miami-Dade County. (MDPD)

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Officers arrested a 42-year-old woman on Wednesday who is accused of abusing an 87-year-old Alzheimer’s patient at an assisted living facility in Miami-Dade County.

Surveillance video shows Mayte Todd-Molina pulled the victim’s hair down toward the pillow, and slapped the victim in the face several times, according to Attorney General Ashley Moody.

“It is incredibly sad to see a caregiver abuse a patient,” Moody said in a statement. “Floridians utilize assisted living facilities once they are no longer able to take care of themselves and trust that caregivers will help, not harm them.”

The victim’s relatives lost trust and installed a hidden camera after noticing bruising. The facility did not have an explanation or report on any incidents that may have caused the bruising, according to Moody’s Medicaid fraud control unit.

Todd-Molina faces two third-degree felony charges of abuse of an elderly disabled adult. Records show she was at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. The Office of the State Attorney in the 11th Judicial Circuit will prosecute the case.

 

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Woman arrested after hidden camera shows she abused 87-year-old patient

Hidden camera allegedly captured caregiver striking 91-year-old bedridden woman 150 times

By Mary Stringini

Rima Abikaram, 50

COSTA MESA, Calif. - A hidden camera allegedly captured a caregiver striking a 91-year-old bedridden woman more than 150 times over a 4-day period, Costa Mesa Police said Thursday.

Rima Abikaram, 50, Fullerton, was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of elder abuse after she was caught on camera striking 91-year-old "Jane Doe" while in her care.

In 2015, Abikaram, a friend of the victim’s family, was hired as one of two caregivers to provide 24-hour care for the 91-year-old woman, who lives in her Costa Mesa home and is confined to a medical bed.

Prior to the arrest, the second caregiver became concerned for the victim after noticing "Jane Doe" had sustained visible injuries and reported her concerns to the victim’s family.

After that, police said that the family installed a hidden camera in the home to monitor the victim’s care. Ultimately, the hidden camera revealed Abikaram abusing and striking the victim.

After the victim's family fired Abikaram as a caregiver on August 18, they called CMPD to report the elder abuse.

During the investigation, video footage was reviewed and it was found that over a 4-day period, Abikaram struck the victim over 150 times. Medical reports showed the victim's injuries included swelling to her face, a black eye, and a laceration to her arm.

On Sept. 1, Abikaram was located at her home and arrested without incident. The case was then turned over to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

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Hidden camera allegedly captured caregiver striking 91-year-old bedridden woman 150 times

Nursing home task force focuses on staffing

By Emily Mills

Steve Piskor placed a camera in his mother’s room at a Cleveland nursing home in 2011.

From the camera’s recordings, Piskor discovered eight aides abusing his then-78-year-old mother, Esther, who had Alzheimer’s disease and died in 2018.

Eventually, two of the aides went to prison, three were fired and three were disciplined, Piskor said.

The family’s experience with elder abuse inspired Senate Bill 255 and House Bill 461, or “Esther’s Law,” companion measures introduced in the Ohio legislature in December. It would allow residents of facilities like nursing homes and assisted living facilities to set up a video recording device in their room.

“I’m not trying to say all aides are bad and all nursing homes are bad. ... What we’re trying to do is just stop the abuse,” said Piskor, 65, of Cleveland.

Piskor shared his experience during the second meeting of the Summit County Nursing Homes and Facilities Task Force on Tuesday morning in the Greater Akron Chamber office.

The group is focusing on three areas: reviewing current conditions, assessing possible solutions and best practices, and making recommendations. The group will then present its findings and recommendations to Summit County Council and the county executive in a written report this year.

At its first meeting in November, four committees were created: legislation, operations, visitation of facilities and staffing, with each committee giving an update Tuesday.

One of the primary focuses of the task force is staffing issues. Wayside Farm Nursing & Rehabilitation Center administrator and task force member Matthew Pool called staff retention and recruitment a “top priority.”

“Without staff, we’re not going to have the quality of care that we’re looking for,” he said.

Preliminary ideas from the task force include a workforce development initiative with Stark State College and a Peace Corps-style training program within the county for young people interested in health care or caregiving. The program would allow them to get experience in nursing homes and other facilities and potentially be hired permanently in the future.

“We’ve been hearing this ever since we mentioned we were looking into this, not only from the providers of the service but from families who have loved ones in the facilities,” Summit County Council President Jeff Wilhite said of staffing issues.

Wilhite proposed creating the group and is chairing the task force.

He also noted the impediments that can keep people from getting to work, like transportation or day care for their children, and said the task force could help look for solutions to those issues.

Summit County Executive’s Office senior administrator and task force member Whitney Spencer proposed working with Akron Public Schools, which offers health care-related pathways through its College and Career Academies, on the staffing issues affecting nursing homes and other facilities.

Kim Hone McMahan, a retired Beacon Journal reporter and columnist whose 103-year-old mother was injured in a nursing home in May, said staff at nursing homes and other facilities are often underpaid, under-trained and difficult to retain, saying she’s found some facilities with a turnover rate of 100%.

“Many if not most incidents in nursing homes are [due to] a lack of staffing, proper staffing,” said McMahan, saying the lack of proper staffing “has reached a crisis.”

The Summit County Council approved creating the task force in August. The idea for the group came about after a June report listed a Copley facility that closed last summer, Fairlawn Rehab and Nursing Center, among the worst in the nation.

Future task force meetings are scheduled for Feb. 18, March 24, April 21 and May 19, all at 10 a.m. in the Greater Akron Chamber conference room in Akron’s AES Building, 388 S. Main St., Suite 205. The meetings are open to the public.

For questions, call the Summit County Council office at 330-643-2725.

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Nursing home task force focuses on staffing

See Also:
Son pushes for cameras after mother's nursing home abuse

New bill called Esther's Law would allow surveillance cameras in nursing home resident rooms

Concerned daughter captures elderly mother’s nursing home abuse on hidden camera in N.C.

Click to Watch Video

By Nick Ochsner

CHERRYVILLE, N.C. (WBTV) – Late this past summer, Renee Herwin had suspicions about the care her 86-year-old mother, Skip MacNally, was getting at the Peak Resources nursing home in Cherryville, N.C. So, she decided to install a hidden camera to find out.

Herwin bought a picture frame with a tiny camera hidden at the bottom. She put it on a counter top in her mom’s room. She had disturbing video of staff at the nursing home abusing her mother almost immediately.

“I put the camera in on August 28. On August 29 I had a video of abuse,” she said. She had a second video within 24 hours of installing the camera.

The first video shows a nursing assistant yelling at MacNally—who is blind and suffers from alzheimer’s disease—while changing her. In the video, you see the nursing assistant go from yelling at MacNally to violently moving her across the bed while changing her. MacNally cries out in pain several times over the course of the video.

“Have I done something?” MacNally asks the nursing assistant towards the end of the video.

“Devil’s wife,” the nursing assistant responds.

Herwin expected the hidden camera to capture evidence of her mother not being properly fed or going long periods of time without being checked on. She didn’t expect to find her mom being violently abused by staff.

“I was livid,” Herwin said of the first time she saw the video. “It was, ‘oh my God, I can’t believe –‘ this was the last thing I expected.”

Herwin took the video to the nursing home’s director, who fired the two employees captured in the two videos and called DSS and police.

In a statement, the nursing home administrator, Kris Thompson, confirmed the incident but said he could not discuss the matter further due to federal privacy laws.

“The mission and main priority of our facility is the safety and well-being of our residents, and we endeavor to respond accordingly to anything that might negatively impact any resident,” Thompson said. “Our top priority, as always, is to remain committed to our residents and their families and we will continue to do so in this situation.”

A DSS report shows a social worker confirmed MacNally was abused but indicates the social worker didn’t open an investigation because, the form says, the two employees were fired.

Herwin said police also investigated and a detective called her to say he wanted to press charges.

“Well, he called me about four days later, told me the (assistant district attorney) was not going to file charges. I didn’t understand,” Herwin said.

To date, no charges have been filed against the employees in the video.

Gaston County District Attorney Locke Bell did not respond to multiple messages seeking an explanation as to why he would not file charges for elder abuse, which is a crime under North Carolina law.

Herwin said she met with Bell but didn’t walk away from that meeting with any better understanding as to why he wouldn’t act.

“I told him that, based on the way the law is now, if a background check was run on this CNA, there would be nothing to alert them that there were abuse confirmations. That’s as far as I got with him and he blurted out, ‘You want me to destroy this woman’s life!’” Herwinn recalled of her meeting with Bell.

Herwin said Bell watched the video, told her he didn’t see anything criminal in the video and ended the meeting.

“That’s all he said,” Herwin recalled. “No explanation. Nothing.”

Herwin called WBTV in hopes the story of what happened to her mother would draw attention to a system that has lax regulation and little oversight.

Because charges weren’t pressed against either nursing assistant, Herwin fears no future employer will ever know what they did to her mother.

“They need to have consequences for their actions! If you don’t have any consequences, it’s just going to continue to get worse,” she said.

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Concerned daughter captures elderly mother’s nursing home abuse on hidden camera in N.C.

Hidden camera records nursing home assistant abusing 93-year-old woman, daughter claims

Click to Watch Video

TOMBALL, Texas - The video is hard to watch and even tougher to listen to.

In it, Mary Teno says her 93-year-old mother Ethel was roughed up by a certified nursing assistant at the Grace Care Northpointe Center in Tomball, where she’s been staying for about a year.

"She just snatched her around and continued to hit her over and over again while my mom just screamed for help," Teno said.

Teno said after her mother complained of being hurt by some staff members, she decided to set up a hidden camera.

"It hurt me to see my mom being treated like that. And she could not defend herself,” Teno said.

Beyond what Teno said was verbal abuse, she also says there was physical abuse.

Teno said while the nursing assistant was wiping her mother, there was a shocking exchange caught on camera.

Although the nursing assistant may no longer be at the facility, Teno still worries how long this has happened to her mother and if it’ll happen to anyone else.

"She needs help. She’s very sick. No human being would treat a person in that manner," Teno said.

The law firm representing the nursing home released the following statement:
 
"Although we have not been provided the video at issue, we understand that the events depicted therein are inexcusable. We obviously do not condone such behavior and are taking every step necessary to ensure that nothing remotely similar happens again. Grace Care Center is committed to the welfare and safety of its residents and the involved nursing assistant has been permanently removed from the facility. We are working with the family, will continue our investigation, and are fully cooperating with the appropriate authorities."

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Hidden camera records nursing home assistant abusing 93-year-old woman, daughter claims

Son pushes for cameras after mother's nursing home abuse

CLEVELAND — The images still anger Steven Piskor.

Even eight years later.

She was his mother, after all.

"It was devastating,” he said. “Even to this day, my family can't look at the video."

Seeing his frail mother’s body flung into bed. Her face poked with a disrespecting finger.

Assaulted by health professionals Piskor trusted. “Every time I look at them, I get more mad,” he said.

“Them” represent the video images Piskor captured in 2011, when he placed a hidden camera in his mother’s room inside a nursing home run by MetroHealth Medical Center.

He placed them there on a hunch. The unexplained bruises. Her quiet moods.

“I began seeing changes in my mom,” he recalled. “By then, I knew something was happening…When I put the camera on, I found abuse in the first two days. But I didn’t know how it was going to be handled.”

The video sent shockwaves through the community. Two aides were indicted and later jailed. Three were fired, and three others were disciplined.

But then, nothing.

His mother, Esther “Mitzi” Piskor, died last year at the age of 85. Her son is intent on ensuring her legacy lives on, and that the trauma she endured is not forgotten, or allowed to be repeated.

"Yes, I definitely think it's time to pass the law."

He’s talking about “Esther’s Law,” a proposal in the process of being crafted into a bill by state Sen. Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood. While no formal bill has yet been crafted, Antontio says the heart of the proposal would allow families to place a camera in a loved one’s nursing home room.

"Anybody's that's walked the path with their own parents as they age understand the need for special protection as people get older," Antonio said. “Not only is it important today, it's going to be important tomorrow.”

Ten states now have laws dealing with cameras. Antonio believes Ohio should be modeled after the law recently enacted in Illinois.

It would require that cameras not be hidden. A sign would be posted outside the room alerting everyone that a camera is in use. A consent form would allow for the cameras to be turned off for various reasons, such as bathing or visits from doctors or clergy.

There are also provisions on roommates and their privacy.

“We want them to age with dignity, want them to be taken care of safely and appropriately and I think this will help,” Antonio said.

A similar effort in 2013 never gained enough support and the legislation fizzled.

The Ohio Health Care Association, an association of nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the state, raised some concerns on how the placement of cameras would blend with existing privacy laws. A spokesman told Channel 3 News that those same concerns should be addressed in any new proposal.

To Steve Piskor, he’s aware of privacy concerns and he believes that the success of similar laws in other states is proof tjhat “Esther’s Law” is viable. And necessary, especially as Ohio’s population continues to grow older.

He said he wants “Esther’s Law” to be a symbol for change.

"Because every time that camera goes into a nursing home, that nursing home is going to know that it was...because they abused my mother.”

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Son pushes for cameras after mother's nursing home abuse

Son pushes for cameras after mother's nursing home abuse

"Esther's Law" would allow Ohio families to place cameras in nursing home rooms.

Author: Phil Trexler

CLEVELAND — The images still anger Steven Piskor.

Even eight years later.

She was his mother, after all.

"It was devastating,” he said. “Even to this day, my family can't look at the video."

Seeing his frail mother’s body flung into bed. Her face poked with a disrespecting finger.

Assaulted by health professionals Piskor trusted. “Every time I look at them, I get more mad,” he said.

“Them” represent the video images Piskor captured in 2011, when he placed a hidden camera in his mother’s room inside a nursing home run by MetroHealth Medical Center.

He placed them there on a hunch. The unexplained bruises. Her quiet moods.

“I began seeing changes in my mom,” he recalled. “By then, I knew something was happening…When I put the camera on, I found abuse in the first two days. But I didn’t know how it was going to be handled.”

The video sent shockwaves through the community. Two aides were indicted and later jailed. Three were fired, and three others were disciplined.

But then, nothing.

His mother, Esther “Mitzi” Piskor, died last year at the age of 85. Her son is intent on ensuring her legacy lives on, and that the trauma she endured is not forgotten, or allowed to be repeated.

"Yes, I definitely think it's time to pass the law."

He’s talking about “Esther’s Law,” a proposal in the process of being crafted into a bill by state Sen. Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood. While no formal bill has yet been crafted, Antontio says the heart of the proposal would allow families to place a camera in a loved one’s nursing home room.

"Anybody's that's walked the path with their own parents as they age understand the need for special protection as people get older," Antonio said. “Not only is it important today, it's going to be important tomorrow.”

Ten states now have laws dealing with cameras. Antonio believes Ohio should be modeled after the law recently enacted in Illinois.

It would require that cameras not be hidden. A sign would be posted outside the room alerting everyone that a camera is in use. A consent form would allow for the cameras to be turned off for various reasons, such as bathing or visits from doctors or clergy.

There are also provisions on roommates and their privacy.

“We want them to age with dignity, want them to be taken care of safely and appropriately and I think this will help,” Antonio said.

A similar effort in 2013 never gained enough support and the legislation fizzled.

The Ohio Health Care Association, an association of nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the state, raised some concerns on how the placement of cameras would blend with existing privacy laws. A spokesman told Channel 3 News that those same concerns should be addressed in any new proposal.

To Steve Piskor, he’s aware of privacy concerns and he believes that the success of similar laws in other states is proof tjhat “Esther’s Law” is viable. And necessary, especially as Ohio’s population continues to grow older.

He said he wants “Esther’s Law” to be a symbol for change.

"Because every time that camera goes into a nursing home, that nursing home is going to know that it was...because they abused my mother.”

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Son pushes for cameras after mother's nursing home abuse

Caretaker steals more than $100,000 in jewelry from elderly couple, police say

MIAMI - A Coral Gables caretaker was arrested Tuesday after he stole more than $100,000 worth of jewelry from an 82-year-old woman's home, police said.

Francisco Castillo-Lumbi, 36, faces charges of grand theft and elderly exploitation.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Marlene Berg told police she had reason to believe that her husband's caretaker had stolen numerous pieces of pricey jewelry from the master bedroom of her home.

Berg's son and his fiancé told police Castillo-Lumbi was acting strangely and watching their every move, even saying he believed he was going to be blamed for the theft because he had access to the jewelry towers in the master bedroom.

Police said a hidden camera in the master bedroom showed Castillo-Lumbi searching through the jewelry and removing jewelry boxes on two different occasions while Berg, her son and his fiancé were out of town.

A prosecutor revealed in bond court Wednesday that Castillo-Lumbi "admitted to selling several pieces of jewelry," including a ring for $270 to a stranger. She said Castillo-Lumbi needed money because he's trying to arrange fake passports to bring his children to the U.S. from Nicaragua.

It was also revealed in court that Castillo-Lumbi fled to the U.S. because he faces an 80-year prison sentence in Nicaragua on terrorism charges.

"They fed this man," Michael Catalano, an attorney representing the family, told Local 10 News. "They treated him like he was a son."

Castillo-Lumbi was ordered held on a $200,000 bond. He also has a federal immigration hold.

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Caretaker steals more than $100,000 in jewelry from elderly couple, police say

Family sets up hidden camera in nursing home, catches man sexually assaulting patient

SEATTLE (KIRO/CNN) - A man is behind bars after authorities say he raped a disabled woman in a nursing home where he worked.

A hidden camera caught a nursing assistant sexually assaulting
a woman multiple times in Seattle. Nshimiyiana Hamzat is
charged with second degree rape. (Source: Family/KIRO/CNN)

According to court documents, 29-year-old Nshimiyiana Hamzat, nursing assistant at Foss Home and Village Nursing Home in north Seattle, was caught on a hidden camera sexually assaulting the victim more than once.

The woman's family says they hid the camera that looks like a phone charger in the room.
Hamzat is charged with second degree rape.

"I asked him what you are doing to me? He said to me back, 'I'm trying to help you, I'm trying to clean you," the victim said, who did not want to give her name.

She described feeling shame, and because of that, she did not immediately tell her family.

"I was feeling that nobody would help me,” the victim said.

Once she told her family, her brother bought the hidden camera and did not tell his sister about his plan, which made him nervous.

He was worried if the suspect found the hidden camera, he might hurt his sister even more.

He said the video proof made him lose his appetite.

"I was at the same time happy, because I catch him but I'm going sick - I can't eat nothing,” the victim’s brother said.

Hamzat, who the state says owns another adult care home himself in Bothell, Wash. where operations have since been suspended, remains jailed.

The woman's brother said he wants transparency and action from the facility.

Leadership at Foss Home and Village would not talk on camera about the allegations but said Hamzat was suspended.

The victim says Hamzat should be in jail.

According to Seattle media, there is another investigation involving another sexual assault at the same facility.

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Family sets up hidden camera in nursing home, catches man sexually assaulting patient

Daughter of Raleigh nursing home patient: 'I didn't want to believe he was being abused'

Raleigh, N.C. — As state regulators investigate patient abuse allegations at a north Raleigh nursing home, the daughter of the patient involved said Tuesday that seeing how her father was treated was like a nightmare.

"I felt sick to my stomach, and I just started crying," Rebecca Knapton said. "That’s my dad, and I’m not there protecting him."

Knapton said she set up a hidden camera in her father's room at Universal Healthcare North Raleigh, at 5201 Clarks Fork Drive, after he insisted he was being mistreated by staffers.

"He wanted those girls to get caught being mean to him," she said. "I was hoping my dad was telling tales. I really was. I didn't want to believe that he was being abused."

Richard Johnson, 68, is recovering from a stroke, and video from the hidden camera shows that he fell out of his bed early one morning. He can be heard calling for help repeatedly, but no one stops by his room for more than an hour.

When staffers finally arrive to help him, they start criticizing him as well.

"What are you doing there?" asks a staff member. "What are you doing on the floor?"

Johnson said he had to go to the bathroom but had an accident while waiting. Staffers then change him on the floor, even though he repeatedly tells them he’s cold.
"You were on the bed. You decided to go on the floor, so don’t complain that it’s cold," a staff member says.

The same staffer later faults him for his current circumstances.

"You had to do something very wrong with your life. What did you do? You’re suffering so bad, so you’ve done something wrong. Yes, you did."

Even after staffers finally put him back into the bed, the berating continues.

"How old are you? One? You’re supposed to be enjoying your retirement. Instead, look what you are doing, pooping on yourself. Shame on you," a staff member says.

Choice Health Management Services, the parent company of Universal Healthcare North Raleigh, said the staffers involved were fired, and others have received extra training.

"Anybody that treats someone in their care like this should not be labeled as a caregiver. They're not," Knapton said.

• How to file a complaint about a nursing home

Choice Health officials said in a statement last week that they believe the incident with Johnson was isolated, and they are confident that residents are well cared for at the nursing home.

"We value and respect the rights of our residents, for we have no greater responsibility than the care and safety of those who are entrusted to us," officials said in a follow-up statement released Tuesday.


But records filed with the state Division of Health Service Regulation show a history of similar problems at the Raleigh nursing home. A report from last October, for example, notes staffers not answering residents' call buttons in a timely manner, residents being allowed to sit in urine or feces, inadequate staffing and a failure to respond to grievances filed by residents and their families.

After each inspection, the facility, which has two stars on the state's five-star scale, promised to fix the problems but clearly didn't.

"The continued failure of the facility during three consecutive federal surveys … shows a pattern of the facility's inability to sustain an effective Quality Assurance Program," regulators wrote last fall.

"I am now glad that it came out because it is getting people talking," Knapton said of her hidden-camera video. "[I'm] horrified because of the stories that are coming out from other people in the community and hearing that it is not just happening here but other places."

Johnson, a veteran and former Carolina Beach firefighter, "was enjoying his retirement to the fullest" before his stroke, his daughter said, noting he had taken cruises and loved to ride his motorcycle.

"It has caused emotional harm on my father," she said of the abuse.

But she added his response to the staffers who berated him inspired her.

"I like my dad's spunk when he says, 'Shame on you,'" she said. "My dad has some fight left, and I told him keep fighting - don't give up."

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Daughter of Raleigh nursing home patient: 'I didn't want to believe he was being abused'

Family says hidden camera shows nursing home abuse

(WJBK) - A family is making disturbing allegations of elder abuse at a Livonia nursing home.

They say they recorded it on a hidden camera inside their 89-year-old relative's room, showing the proof. After a bowel obstruction surgery, 89-year-old Hussein Younes recovered at Autumnwood in Livonia in April 2015.

"I discovered unspeakable horrors," said his son, Salim Younes.

"We only caught two days of this horror show at Autumnwood Livonia, two days," said attorney Jonathan Marko. "He was there for approximately six months. He went in, in May, until his family saw the video in December and yanked him out as soon as they saw it."

Younes was thrown and slapped, leading to unexplained bruises and cuts. Within weeks, the family knew something was wrong with Dad, so in December they put a hidden camera in the alarm clock.

"When confronted with video evidence that their staff was battering and abusing this man, they refused to take any responsibility," said Marko.

Hussein came to this country from Lebanon in 1995, and is a proud US citizen - which makes the ethnic slurs he endured even more hurtful.

Attorney Marko says the nurse, Tammy, was reprimanded in Virginia for using the N-word. And she was terminated from two nursing homes before being hired there. She's now lost her nursing license in Michigan.

In a statement from Autumnwood, they say, "The actions depicted in the video are in no way illustrative of the quality care that is provided by the caring staff at Autumnwood on a daily basis. The employees identified from the video have been terminated, and additional training has been provided to all employees."

"Worst of all, they sent Mr. Younes a bill for abusing his father," said Marko. "That's despicable."

No criminal charges have been brought in this case but Marko says the Attorney General is looking into this case. The civil trial starts in June.



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Family says hidden camera shows nursing home abuse

Hidden cameras show apparent abuse inside South Florida nursing homes

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. - More and more family members are placing hidden cameras inside rooms to monitor the quality of care of their loved ones at nursing homes.

Local 10 News obtained disturbing images of what can happen inside the walls of a nursing home. There is renewed debate over the issue following the deaths of 13 people from a nursing facility in Hollywood during Hurricane Irma.

Video recorded inside a Pompano Beach room of a 94-year-old man with dementia who is unable to speak are cringe-worthy.

It shows a certified nursing assistant forcefully trying to get the man off the bed. She sends him free-falling into a chair and then hits him on the head.

In another clip, the nursing assistant is seen dousing him with mouthwash.

"Mouthwash has alcohol in it. Guess what? He's going to end up with ulcers and bedsores from dried out skin, and that's exactly what happened to this man when he had stage three ulcers, that ultimately proved to be fatal," Blake Dolman, who represented the man's family in a lawsuit against the nursing home, said.

The hidden camera was placed in the elderly man's room by a concerned daughter, who said it caught her worst fears.

"Ninety-nine percent of the time, the nursing home says, 'No, that didn't happen,'" Dolman said.

The video in that case was so valuable, Dolman said, because it made what happened unquestionable.

"It saved the judicial system time," Dolman said. "It saved the attorneys time."

A hidden camera video taken inside a South Florida nursing home shows a worker sleeping as an alarm indicating something is wrong in a patient's room is clearly blaring.

In another hidden camera video, a patient's breathing tube appears to be removed by a nursing assistant. She appears to do nothing, despite alarms going off. She even reenters the room again after leaving. Five minutes go by until another employee comes in and sees the tube is disconnected.

That nursing assistant claims she knew nothing about what happened, even though the video shows otherwise.

Could cameras have alerted someone to do something faster in Hollywood after Hurricane Irma?

Six states -- Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Washington -- allow the use of video monitoring.

"I believe that the state of Florida require that residents be presented with the option or the right to have cameras in their rooms," Dolman said.

Attorney Don Fann has spent more than 20 years representing and defending nursing homes.

"I know how nursing homes operate from the inside out," Fann said.

Fann now uses his expertise to sue them.

"The staff didn't want to be observed," he said. "They didn't want to have that pressure, and that is ridiculous."

In 2012, a bill in the Florida Legislature that would allow the use of cameras died in committee.
"If they're not doing anything wrong, why be against the camera?" Dolman said.

The Florida Health Care Association, which represents 550 of the state's 683 nursing homes, is against cameras.

Local 10 News asked and had several interviews set up with some of its members. They were all canceled. 

"The use of surveillance cameras carries a number of challenges, and we must remember that cameras observe, they do not protect," association spokeswoman Kristen Knapp said in a statement to Local 10 News. "Cameras provide access to footage of residents in their most intimate moments. Even if proper consent is obtained by one resident, the issue becomes complicated when there are roommates involved."

Several state legislators said they are researching the issue, but at this point, no bills have been filed for the upcoming legislative session.

The state of Florida revoked the license of the the certified nursing assistant who was accused of abusing the 94-year-old man. Family members said they didn't want to pursue criminal charges against her.

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Hidden cameras show apparent abuse inside South Florida nursing homes

Hidden camera captures nursing aides allegedly abusing grandmother

SHARON, Mass. - A hidden camera captured a 93-year-old great-grandmother being tossed around and her hair pulled in a Sharon nursing home and rehab last week.

The video, set up by her family in her room at Wingate at Sharon, shows two women toss the elderly resident into her wheelchair. The resident, whose family, has identified her only as Dorothy, then struggles to maintain her balance.

“Get the hell away from me,” Dorothy says. “You think you’re pretty smart,” as one aide shows Dorothy her fist. Seconds later, the other aide grabs her hair from behind and yanks her head around.

The video from March 5 begins with Dorothy, who has dementia, swearing at and exchanging swipes with the pair. She threatens to break one certified nursing assistant (CNA)’s nose and says she will call police. Her granddaughter Kristen says Dorothy was defending herself.

“She can’t really hurt you. She’s 98 pounds. They were picking her up and whipping her around,” Kristen said. “It’s awful. We haven’t even slept nights with the images in our head of what was taken place, and we weren’t there to help her.”



Sharon police investigating the case filed a court summons for Domingas Teixeira, 61, and Leonide Jean Paul Bien-Aime, 49, both of Brockton, on charges of assault and battery on a person over 60.

Teixeira denied physically assaulting Dorothy but declined to comment further without an attorney.

FOX25 tried to reach Bien-Aime at home but could not make contact with her.

Wingate confirmed to FOX25 both aides had been fired. The company sent the following statement to FOX25.

“Upon hearing this deeply upsetting news, we moved swiftly to terminate the two employees involved, conduct a full investigation and work with the authorities.  We have brought in a counselor to support the resident and family and are re-educating all of our staff on appropriate and compassionate patient care. We are confident that this is an isolated incident, because we know our dedicated staff members who work hard every day to ensure the safety and dignity of the residents for whom they care. Nonetheless, it is heartbreaking.”

A spokesperson for Wingate also provided a letter that was sent to residents’ families, informing them of the incident, promising it was isolated and pledging, “nothing is more important to us than the safety and dignity of our residents.”

Dorothy, sick with pneumonia and a urinary tract infection, has been transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital. There, Kristen said, she is happier. She will never return to Wingate, the family said.

“I’m disgusted. I’m sickened by it. She’s defenseless,” Kristen said. “We trusted this place to take care  of her, and this is what was taking place in their facility.”

In an effort to protect her own grandparent and others, Kristen has been sending letters to lawmakers urging them to reconsider an electronic monitoring bill that was never passed but was proposed more than 15 years ago to allow residents of nursing homes to keep a camera rolling in their room.

If you suspect elder abuse, report it to the Elder Abuse Hotline: 800.922.2275 (Voice/TTY) in Massachusetts or (603) 271-7014 in New Hampshire. 

Full Article & Source:
Hidden camera captures nursing aides allegedly abusing grandmother

NY AG Press Release: A.G. Schneiderman Announces Arrest Of Two Nursing Home Employees On Charges They Neglected Disabled Resident

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the arrest of two employees of Erie County Medical Center Skilled Nursing Facility (now known as Terrace View Long Term Care Facility) in Buffalo, following an investigation into their treatment of a nursing home resident.

The investigation, which relied on a hidden camera placed in the patient’s room, revealed an alleged pattern of neglect. The two nursing assistants are charged with a variety of felony and misdemeanor counts in Buffalo City Court.

“Nursing home residents are among our state’s most vulnerable citizens, and the neglect that the victim in this case suffered is reprehensible,” Attorney General Schneiderman said. “Today’s arrests send a clear message that my office will not tolerate anyone being neglected by those responsible for their care, and we will use every tool in our arsenal, including hidden cameras, to ensure that those most in need of help are safely cared for and treated with respect and dignity.”

The victim in this case, identified in court papers only as “MH” in order to protect her privacy, is a 79-year-old resident who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. She is non-ambulatory and totally dependent on nursing staff of the facility for her care.

Full Press Release and Source:
A.G. Schneiderman Announces Arrest Of Two Nursing Home Employees On Charges They Neglected Disabled Resident

Oklahoma: New Nursing Home Hidden Camera Law Begins Today!

Oklahoma is one of the worst states when it comes to nursing home quality, according to a national study conducted by a nonprofit elder advocacy group.

On its report card, Families for Better Care gave the state an "F" rating.

 

Proponents of a new law hope hidden cameras will change that. 

 

Undercover cameras caught two caretakers abusing 96-year-old Eryetha Mayberry at an Oklahoma City nursing home. Police arrested the two women shown in the undercover video -- Caroline Kaseke and Lucy Gakunga.

 

Kaseke bonded out of jail and has not shown up for court, authorities said. There’s currently a warrant out for her arrest.

 

The video prompted legislation allowing hidden cameras to be installed in nursing homes statewide.

 

It was signed by Gov. Mary Fallin in May and goes into effect on Nov. 1.

Full Article and Source:
New Nursing Home Hidden Camera Law Begins Friday