A 24-year-old employee at an assisted living facility in Florida has been arrested and charged following allegations of physical abuse against an elderly resident with dementia.
Kassandra Aihe faces charges of battery on a person aged 65 or older in connection with the incident that occurred on October 27 at an assisted living facility in Casselberry, a suburb of Orlando, as reported by News 6 WKMG, WSVN, and Fox 35, citing an arrest report.
According to the arrest report, surveillance footage captured Aihe’s attempt to assist the elderly resident, who was suffering from dementia, in returning to her room. However, when the resident exhibited combative behavior, Aihe is alleged to have grabbed her by the hair and forcefully pulled her into the room.
Reports suggest that the resident screamed for approximately five minutes while both were in the room until another staff member arrived to provide assistance, as mentioned by WVSN.
An incident report filed by Aihe reportedly contains an admission that she struck the resident in the face with an object and forcibly pushed her face against a wall, resulting in facial injuries and bleeding, as reported by News 6 WKMG. Two days after the incident, the resident was hospitalized, where medical staff diagnosed her with severe bruising and facial fractures.
Subsequently, Aihe was arrested by the police after the resident’s husband decided to press charges, according to News 6 WKMG.
The police report stated that Aihe “went beyond her scope of duty by pulling (the patient’s) hair to control her and pushing her physically to move her to her room,” as noted by Fox 35.
Following her arrest, Aihe was sent to Seminole County Jail, but she was later released upon posting a $5,000 bond, according to the reports. It remains unclear whether she has entered a plea or retained legal representation to speak on her behalf.
