Abuse of Caldor Fire evacuee caught on video at California senior care home, complaint claims
A 90-year-old woman with dementia who was evacuated from her Pollock Pines home during the Caldor Fire ended up at a Folsom senior living facility where workers allegedly abused her — and it was caught on video, according to a complaint filed with state regulators.
The complaint, filed Sept. 10 by the Sacramento-based Foundation Aiding the Elderly, accuses the Brookdale Senior Living facility on Harrington Way of “elder abuse, failure to protect resident from physical harm, fall and left unattended, lack of dignity and insufficient staffing.”
FATE President Carole Herman said the alleged abuse was caught on video through a camera the woman’s granddaughter had concealed in her room.
“The family installed a video camera as there was concern about the type of care (the woman) was receiving at the facility,” Herman wrote in her complaint to the community care licensing arm of the California Department of Consumer Affairs.
On Sept. 2, Herman wrote, the family “saw evidence on the video that (the woman) had been brutally attacked by two facility employees.”
“They slapped her, pulled her hair, tormented her and laughed at her,” Herman’s complaint states. “Earlier that morning around 7 a.m., it is also on the video that (the woman) fell and laid on the floor in her room for almost an hour before someone came and picked her up.
“Someone was seen placing a covering over her as she was on the floor naked.”
One of the caregivers was arrested Friday and charged with felony elder abuse. Sharan Umlesh Kaur, 49, was released from custody Saturday, according to online jail logs. No criminal charges have been filed involving the second worker.
Kaur could not immediately be reached for comment. She is scheduled to face arraignment Tuesday on one felony count of elder abuse, Sacramento Superior Court online records say.
The Bee is not identifying the 90-year-old woman because she is a victim of alleged abuse.
The woman’s granddaughter, Rebecca Gyorgy, told The Sacramento Bee that the family became suspicious after one of them saw bruises on the woman’s thigh four days after she arrived at the facility.
“You just hear stories about these places,” Gyorgy said, adding that she placed a camera inside a DVD player and left it in her grandmother’s room.
“They didn’t have any idea it was in there,” Gyorgy said. “That same night, I see on video two caregivers slapping her face, pulling her hair, laughing at her.
“It was awful. It was disgusting.”
A worker at the Folsom facility referred questions to Brookdale’s corporate headquarters in Brentwood, Tennessee.
“We take any allegations very seriously as the health and well being of our residents is extremely important to us,” the company said in an email response to a query from The Bee. “Having the trust of our residents, and their families is vital.
“Inappropriate conduct or behavior is not tolerated and is dealt with appropriately. The individuals involved are no longer with the company, and we are cooperating with the authorities.
“Our company has thorough employment standards in place, including background checks, and ongoing training of employees in compliance with state rules and regulations. Out of privacy for those involved, we are unable to provide any further details.”
Herman, the foundation president, said the woman “is OK physically,” but that the experience has caused her mental trauma.
“She’s been acting out because she’s scared to death,” Herman said.
This story was originally published September 27, 2021 at 9:03 AM with the headline "Abuse of Caldor Fire evacuee caught on video at California senior care home, complaint claims."