Elderly woman with Alzheimer’s abused by caregiver

A bedridden elderly woman with Alzheimer’s has allegedly been abused by her caregiver, resulting in broken teeth and bruises. The caregiver resigned to evade responsibility but continued to seek similar jobs on Facebook.

At 11am yesterday, July 12, at Min Buri Police Station, Ekkapop Luangprasert, advisor to the Interior Minister and founder of a prominent Facebook social activist page, arrived with an 86 year old woman and her relatives to file a complaint against a physically abusive caregiver.

The elderly woman, who had to be transported in a wheelchair, bore visible bruises, a swollen mouth, and broken teeth from the abuse. When asked if she was in pain, she confirmed her discomfort and expressed fear. She also mentioned being hungry and having a headache, holding her head as she spoke.

Ekkapop explained that the relatives had initially contacted the Facebook page three weeks ago after posting a job advertisement on Facebook, offering 500 baht for a caregiver to feed and change the diapers of the bedridden woman who has Alzheimer’s and is paralysed on her left side.

Relatives first noticed bruises on the elderly woman and checked the CCTV footage, revealing that the caregiver had forcefully hit her teeth with a spoon while feeding her, causing them to break. The caregiver also pinched the woman, leaving marks on her body.

When questioned, the caregiver claimed the woman was uncooperative. She admitted to the abuse occurring 20 to 30 times. The caregiver has since resigned, but there are concerns she might abuse others if left unchecked.

Dangerous choice

The elderly woman’s son-in-law, Manop Tinsirisu recounted that on June 10, the previous caregiver resigned. Both he and his wife needed to work, so they searched for a replacement through Facebook. Many responded, including some scammers, but they eventually chose 49 year old Napasorn, from Pathum Thani.

Napasorn claimed to have experience caring for the elderly in 10 to 20 cases. Manop his mother-in-law’s Alzheimer’s condition to Napasorn, who seemed understanding and respectful, leading them to hire her on June 11. She stayed with them until July 5, for which they paid her over 15,000 baht.

About a week later, Manop and his wife noticed shocking changes in their mother’s behaviour as she appeared unusually lethargic. Her mouth was dry, suggesting Napasorn did not give her enough water. On July 1, they discovered bruises on their mother’s mouth, accompanied by a broken tooth. Napasorn claimed she was doing laundry outside when the tooth broke, but there was no evidence of washed clothes.

On July 2, Manop reviewed the CCTV footage and saw evidence of the abuse. Both he and his wife were heartbroken and couldn’t believe such cruelty had occurred in their own home. By July 5, Manop confronted Napasorn, who initially denied the allegations but eventually admitted to the abuse, brazenly suggesting they report her to any police station.

She claimed the abuse was due to uncooperative behaviour, likely exacerbated by her Alzheimer’s condition. Manop had been wary from the first day Napasorn requested her wages in cash, citing she didn’t have a bank account, raising suspicions.

Currently, a new caregiver, 56 years old, has been hired, with hopes she will be kinder. However, Napasorn continues to seek caregiving jobs on Facebook.

Deputy Metropolitan Police Commander Chana Warasin disclosed that the elderly woman will undergo a medical examination to obtain a certificate for legal proceedings. The police will summon Napasorn for questioning and consider charges of intentional bodily harm, reported KhaoSod.