A family decided to hire a woman to take care of their 69-year-old mother, who was suffering from dementia, as they were not able to be around and keep an eye on her. But the family soon discovered that was the worst decision they ever had to make because it turned out the caregiver was cruelly abusing the elderly woman in their own home. The family found out about the abuse when they reviewed the CCTV footage.
Liz, an elderly woman with limited mobility, was aggressively force-fed by Jenny while in her care and roughed around with no regard for her comfort or health. Investigations revealed that Jenny had yanked Liz’s hair, pulled her up by holding her nose, and pushed her knuckles into her face.
In one of the incidents, Liz was left to sit in a corner after a shower with only a towel placed on her lap. Liz sat with her wet hair and no clothes on for about 30 minutes, unable to move due to her limited mobility.
The abuse inflicted by Jenny came to light after Liz’s daughter, Corrina, decided to investigate her care after she started finding blisters and bruises on her mother’s body in the summer. She began recording footage of whatever was going on in Liz’s room using the CCTV camera that was easily visible to anybody who walked in.
The elderly woman’s family was shocked and heartbroken after they saw the footage that revealed the horrifying abuse she suffered under their roof.
“I was mortified when I found out this had been happening,” Corrina said. “I found it really difficult to watch the footage; it made me feel physically sick. I felt guilty for not being able to protect her when she needed it and for the fact that this had happened under our own roof. We trusted Jenny and thought she genuinely cared for mom, but she betrayed this trust in the worst possible way.”
While investigations into the incident began shortly after the abuse was uncovered, Liz passed away before Jenny pleaded guilty to the heartless crime. This made it “so much harder” for Corrina because her mother was abused in the final year of her life.
As more details of the abuse came out, it was discovered that Jenny was verbally abusive and spent most of her time on the phone while on duty. There was also an incident that left Liz’s legs with deep cuts, caused by the scratches of a dog Jenny brought with her one day.
“Jenny was in a position of trust and left to care for an extremely vulnerable woman who had no means of protecting herself or raising the alarm to relatives,” said Detective Constable. “She abused this trust, treating Liz with little care, handling her roughly by pushing and pulling her… No one would want their loved ones treated in this way, particularly those who are vulnerable and have limited capacity. That is why it’s important we seek justice in these cases for the victims and their families.”
In January 2021 Jenny pleaded guilty to the ill-treatment or neglect of a person who lacks capacity. She was ordered to pay around $167 and has to spend six months in prison.
After what happened to her mother, Corrina urged people not to ignore any signs. “I’m glad we acted on our concerns and got the camera, and I would encourage anyone in a similar position to do the same,” Corrina shared. “I couldn’t bear the thought of Jenny being in a position to care for other people’s loved ones and abuse them in the way she did my mom.”
Click HERE to watch the footage.
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