Filipino caregiver in UK jailed for abuse

MANILA, Philippines – A Filipino male caregiver was jailed earlier this month in the United Kingdom, after he was found guilty of abusing an elderly woman under his care.

Jonathan Aquino, 30, was arrested and sentenced to 18 months in prison last April 13, after he was found guilty of abusing 81-year-old Maria Worroll while she was living at the Ash Court care home in London.

The incident was broadcast as part of an episode on elderly care on the BBC show Panorama on Monday, April 23 (Tuesday, April 24 in Manila).

It came to light after Worroll’s daughter Jane secretly filmed her in her room at the care home back in June 2011, after the latter suspected their mother was being mistreated, the report said.

The elderly Worroll was living at the care home for a little over a month when Jane noticed she had bruises, prompting her to install a hidden camera in an alarm clock to film whatever was going on in her mother’s room.

In the footage, she saw Aquino slap her mother 6 times. On this basis, she complained to the care home management and authorities.

Aside from Aquino’s slapping, the footage showed 4 other care workers feeding Maria, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, too quickly, and rolling her over and hauling her roughly.

The other care workers involved were sacked, as was Aquino, while Mrs Worroll has been moved to another care home.

Lapses

The Panorama episode also showed the lapses of the company in managing the care home, as well as England’s Care Quality Commission (CQC), which oversees standards for hospitals and care homes in the country.

“It is right that this behaviour has been handled robustly by the police and the courts. This sends a strong message that it is unacceptable to abuse an elderly person in your care. We hope it will act as a powerful deterrent to others,” Matthew Trainer, the CQC’s Deputy Director of Operations in London, said in a statement shortly after the verdict.

Filipinos make up a significant part of the population in the United Kingdom. The Philippine Embassy in London estimates that there are around 200,000 Filipinos (including those born in the country already) living in the country. – Rappler.com