Shocking webcam video catches caregiver abusing 91-year-old patient

When Crescencia Obaldo installed Skype on her computer, she didn't think the webcam would catch her elderly mother's long-time caregiver slapping her helpless patient around and shoving food down her throat. 

91-year-old Calatina Obaldo, who lives with her daughter Crescencia in New Jersey and suffers from Alzheimers, diabetes and heart problems, was seen on video being repeatedly slapped, shoved, and manhandled by Carmen Pereira, her caretaker of 11 years.

Video posted on youtube on September 15 slynan74.

The Obaldo family had installed a webcam to be able to video chat with relatives overseas. The camera was left on at all times. When some suspicious bruises began appearing on Catalina, a son-in-law suggested leaving the webcam on and checking the computer for recordings that might explain what happened. What they discovered left them shocked and heartbroken.

When confronted, caregiver Carmen Pereira reportedly broke down in tears and denied the treatment was abusive, saying that she "loved" her patient.

Pereira has been fired by her former employer; a home assistance agency called "Loving in Care", and is awaiting trial on charges of aggravated assault with extreme indifference and neglect of a disabled person - all third degree offences that are not punishable by prison. Moreover, legal website Right Juris.com notes that there is nothing to legally prevent Pereira from being hired as a caregiver in another family.

Commenting on the case, New Jersey Police Chief Thomas Comey offered some advice to anyone about to hire a caregiver: "Buy a recording camera, and [...] tell the caregiver that it is there, so that [he or she] will be on best behaviour."

Post written with France 24 journalist Lorena Galliot

"I don't think video cameras are the right solution"

Patrice Chicherie is president of the caregiver's association of the French department of Indre et Loire. He worked with elderly patients for 15 years, and now specialises in the care of autistic patients.

I was absolutely appalled when I saw this video. It's extremely violent. In my whole career, I have never, ever seen anything like it. Clearly, this person has no business being a caregiver.

But we need to bear in mind that caring for very old people with Alzheimer's is exhausting both physically and emotionally. It involves everything from carrying and washing the patient to coping with possible sudden bouts of aggressiveness due to the disease. Therefore, I think it's necessary to allow caregivers who have had this job for a while to evolve to different kinds of patients after a few years - in my case, moving to autistic patients, which is a different, less physical type of care. Otherwise, there can be a burnout on part of the caregiver, which can lead, in the worse of cases, to inappropriate behaviour. Addressing the issue in training courses for caregivers and organising regular awareness-raising and prevention campaigns can also help.

However, I don't think installing video camera's to record caregivers work is the right solution at all. It adds extra pressure on an already high-pressure job, and creates a negative dynamic between the patient's family and the caregiver. It's an important relationship that needs to be built on trust and communication, not surveillance."