The screaming and badgering are over in one Yakima County elder care facility in the Washington State. Despite the residents’ aches, pains and fast-approaching dementia, they finally can live without fear of being harassed.
After one resident told state investigators about the mental abuse from Carol Winters, proprietor of Carol’s Country Touch, Winters had her license revoked and the residents were relocated to other group homes in the county, according to the Yakima Herald-Republic.
“Maybe I should die so you don't have to put up with me."
There were reports of Winters berating individuals for moving too slowly with their walkers or not eating their meals fast enough. She even cursed when losing her temper, it was reported. One resident said Winters was a “very angry person and had lots of it.” The resident told investigators and family members she was frightened living there.
Regional officials determined Winters had abused three other residents at the six-bed home she had operated since 1996.
One employee told authorities Winters grabbed a resident who had been walking slowly into the home after a doctor’s visit to have her pupils dilated. The worker said Winters shouted, "Come on, woman, you act like you're dying." The resident responded to Winters, saying “I’m sorry I’m an inconvenience. Maybe I should die so you don't have to put up with me."
Last summer, the Aging and Adult Services Administration of the Department of Social and Health Services in Yakima County revoked the facility’s license after determining Winters “failed to provide an environment where three residents and one former resident were free from physical and mental abuse.”
Judge Forbids Winters to Operate another Elder Care Facility in Yakima Region
Winters denied she acted in a threatening manner to her residents and filed an appeal with a state administrative law judge. The judge denied the appeal, prohibiting Winters from ever again operating an elder care facility in the Yakima County region.
David Moon, regional administrator in Yakima for Residential Care Services, said one-to-two facilities are closed yearly in Yakima and seven other central Washington State counties.
"It's a relatively rare occurrence," said Moon, whose agency governs adult homes. There are 52 licensed elder care facilities serving 284 beds in Yakima County. Moon said the majority of homes cater to individuals with dementia or developmental disabilities.
During the investigation into Carol’s Country Touch, officials learned night-shift care workers were “off duty,” leaving residents without overnight supervision. "At that point, there was enough evidence of physical and/or verbal abuse that we needed to remove the provider so residents wouldn't be fearful of cooperating with us," Moon said.
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