COMFORT KEEPERS Caregiver Bilked Elderly Man
Comfort Keepers franchise employee Tammy M. Sainato pleaded guilty to charges of stealing more than $32,000 from a 79-year-old man in her care, according to a story in the Gloucester Times.
Police began the investigation after receiving a call from Sainato’s supervisor at Comfort Keepers, who indicated that the victim’s daughter had discovered irregularities in her father’s bank accounts including a $10,000 Sainato cashed on Nov. 11, 2009.
Sainato reportedly told police that her elderly patient gave her the check after he overheard her talking on the phone about her financial hardships. The man denied giving her the check.
According to the article, Sainato admitted to police that she had forged three checks totaling $6,200 between Dec. 27, 2009, and April 1, 2010, but denied making three withdrawals totaling $16,000 during the same period.
Tammy M. Sainato blamed her “serious” financial problems, and her husband’s unemployment, for her actions.
She was charged with five counts each of larceny from a person over 65, uttering a false check, and forgery of a check.
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After pleading guilty to the charges, Sainato was put on probation until Feb. 24, 2015, and ordered to pay the victims $10,000 restitution. The judge also ordered Sainato to stay away and have no contact with the victim and his family, and not to engage, either as an employee or volunteer, in caring for any handicapped or elderly people.
The judge stated that the $10,000 restitution order does not prohibit the family from being able to pursue further restitution through civil court.
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That’s unfortunate to allow someone into your home or family’s home to help but they still instead they steal from the hands that feed them. At Accessible Home Health Care we are sure to put our caregivers under a strict background check and multiple interviews. Even in at accessiblefranchiseinfo.com you’ll be able to see that we are a company of integrity.
There are some amazing people out there who do this job at very little pay and very difficult hours. A law will be going into place to make sure that these people are paid at least minimum wage, as well as overtime pay for time worked over the 8 hours. Also, there is more in the new law to the benefit of the home healthcare worker. You really do get what you pay for. I have heard more about people doing this job to steal drugs from the unsuspecting victim. That is a felony, and it reaches into the patient’s care on so many levels. This is the job of choice for someone with the problem of addiction I’m sorry to say. Family members must be vigilant, as no one can know what kind of person is coming in, even seeming so kind. I say people MUST be on random drug testing programs with any of these franchises. No brainer.
These companies pay peanuts and the benefits–if any–are insulting. The families aren’t fun to deal with, either. Essentially it’s slave labor. You do get what you pay for–unfortunately the CNA’s make $9-10/hr but the agency charges the client $25-30.