A bill that would have allowed families of residents in long-term care to place cameras in their rooms died earlier this year in the Arizona Legislature. Now, some advocates are gearing up to try again after a police report said a resident at Brookdale Desert Ridge in north Phoenix was raped by her caregiver late last month.
According to the report, the daughter of the 88-year-old victim had placed a hidden, motion-activated camera in her mother’s room. She later reported observing a male caregiver with his pants pulled down next to her mother’s bed. The daughter called the facility to report the assault. Police later arrested the man.
Dana Kennedy is with AARP Arizona. "And so this is just a perfect example of why we felt that this bill needed to become law," Kennedy said.
That bill would have allowed families to place cameras in their loved one’s rooms, but it died during the last legislative session.
"And so we've already reached out to the sponsor of the bill who absolutely wants to run the bill again," Kennedy said.
According to a Brookdale spokesperson, the individual is no longer a Brookdale employee and an internal investigation has been launched.
A Brookdale spokesperson issued this statement:
“The health and safety of our residents is our top priority. We do not tolerate conduct of this nature. When we became aware of the allegation, we immediately contacted local authorities and took appropriate measures including removing this individual from the community. He is no longer a Brookdale employee. Our company has strict standards in place for employees, including background checks and complying with state rules and regulations. We have launched an internal investigation and we are working closely with local authorities. We are deeply appreciative of their support.”
