Exploitation of an elderly adult is a kind of elder abuse that has been making headlines recently. From taking pictures of elderly patients in various stages of undress, or in embarrassing situations, to financial exploitation, this is a crime that may either be a felony or a misdemeanor in the state of Georgia. Many jurisdictions are finding that taking pictures of elderly people in these instances and posting them on the internet is a type of elder abuse and are prosecuting offenders. Newsweek reports on three employees of a nursing home facing criminal charges after posting a video of a patient to Snapchat.
The three nurse’s aides were asked to watch over a septuagenarian who had recently suffered a stroke while awaiting a hospice nurse.
Those three employees decided to take a Snapchat video which depicted them making vulgar had gestures and spewing profanity. One of the women is depicted as inhaling from a vape pen on the video. They then posted the video on Snapchat and entitled it “The End.”
21-year-old Jorden Lanah Bruce, 21-year-old Mya Janai Moss, and 19-year-old Lizeth Jocelyn Cervantes Ramirez were arrested for exploitation of an elderly and disabled person.
The video, which was made on June 13th, was discovered and reported by another employee at the facility. All three women were arrested on June 22nd. Both Bruce and Moss were able to bond out of jail. Ramirez is still being held by immigration and customs officials.
In Georgia, the exploitation of an elderly or a disabled adult may be either a felony or a misdemeanor.
