Unveiling Elderly Abuse: PCEA Thogoto Care Home Exposed By BBC
The Ministry of Interior has issued fresh directives concerning essential services, one of which involves a commitment to decrease the processing time for passports.
In a report conducted by the BBC, a pair of covert reporters, whose family members were admitted to the establishment, managed to secure jobs within the facility while concealing cameras. Through this approach, they captured footage of the mistreatment experienced by the senior residents.
The residence is believed to have been founded by the Women’s Guild of the nearby PCEA church, yet it operates autonomously.
In one of the covertly recorded clips, a tenant was left alone while consuming a meal that had been placed on an abandoned table.
“If you don’t get someone to feed you, and you’re shaking, will you sleep hungry?” a resident said.
“Do you think she will be the first to die of hunger here? Many have died of hunger here. They deny them lunch, dinner because they don’t have time to come and feed them,” said another.
Subsequently, it came to light that a significant portion of the food given to the establishment was reportedly taken by employees without authorization. This occurrence was observed by the covert group as they saw food being loaded into a senior staff member’s car.
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A subsequent video showed another aged woman being caned for stepping out of the home care compound. In the video, about three staff members were seen approaching the woman one said “You were called and refused to come back” and another said “Now we have to cane you”
They grabbed the woman and grabbed her firmly as one staff member stood behind ready to swing the cane. The helpless woman tried to plead with the caregivers “Please forgive me” but the caregivers felt no sympathy and even one added, “hit her on her buttocks.”
They openly acknowledged that there are instances when they need to employ coercion with the inhabitants to ensure compliance with the established regulations.
“Sometimes you have to use force. Even carers who start as being polite end up being aggressive towards clients” said the staff members.
One of the journalists working in disguise mentioned that she couldn’t handle observing the distressing situations the senior citizens were subjected to. She pointed out that the situation was so severe that it could lead to the demise of the residents.
“I used to cry a lot, most of the time I used to go to the toilet, I would switch off my camera and cry,” she said.
“When you take your loved one there you are taking them to a mortuary waiting for them to die and take them to the morgue, that is how it is in there.”
A different individual, known as Mwangi, had a skin ailment and was expressing his agony from the intense discomfort he was experiencing. However, he was still refused medical care.
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“He was bleeding very badly and he gave money to Jane to take him to hospital, he was not taken to hospital and when he asked Jane, Jane was very angry with him and she even told him, ‘your home is just around the corner and your people have given up on you do you think I will be able to help you?'” said one of the undercover journalists.
“He used to tell me we are waiting for death.”
Jane Gaturu, the manager of the Care home, refused to provide a statement regarding the issue, asserting that the facility rigorously adheres to legal regulations and continues to be guided by the Christian values on which it was initially established.
Gaturu rejected the claims of mistreatment and emphasized that the facility provides proper attention to the residents and discourages any improper actions towards their clients.
“The home was a non-profit organization run voluntarily which depended entirely on donations from well-wishers. But that allegations they did not take care of residents who needed medical attention were lies and malice,” she said as quoted by BBC.
“Residents who struggle to eat are given priority assistance and anyone seen carrying food away from the home should be dismissed. The home and the management do not condone any form of brutality or aggression towards the aged.”
With the support of his family, Mwangi eventually received the medical care he needed.
Unveiling Elderly Abuse: PCEA Thogoto Care Home Exposed By BBC
