An employee at a Summerland seniors' care home has been fired after an investigation into how a senior's credit card was taken and used on a $2,400 shopping spree.
The family of Kathleen Ryland, 90, was shocked to open the senior's credit card bill and find charges from a gas station, the B.C. Liquor Store, Wal-Mart, Mariposa and Total Pet -- even though she hadn't left the seniors' home in that time.
"Look at the first charge," said Carolyn Ryland, Kathleen Ryland's daughter-in-law, as she pointed at the January bill. "Mom would never go to Total Pet."
Kathleen Ryland has been living at the Summerland Seniors' Village for about a year.
When the Rylands saw the January bill, it didn't take long to discover that her credit card been stolen right out of her room.
"To think that someone actually went into her room and took the card is very disturbing," said Carolyn's husband John.
The Rylands went to a furniture store where the card had been used.
"My wife told the manager the amount of money, the exact date, and her first response was, 'Oh, I know that person,'" said John Ryland.
Once they had a name, the family contacted the RCMP and the owner of the seniors' home, Retirement Concepts.
An investigation found that the alleged thief was a care aide at the home.
The care home's management says the employee was immediately fired.
"It absolutely appalled me that this happened in one of our sites," said Leslie Karmazinuk, the director of patient care at Retirement Concepts.
Company President Azim Jamal said that the employee had been through a series of record checks.
"Everyone has a criminal record check. Everyone has reference checks and everyone goes through a personal interview and we check their credentials," he said.
"This person absolutely had all those checks done," he said.
In other incidents, staff at the facility have been accused of abusing seniors.
Freedom of information documents show that in 2006, three workers were fired after investigations into physical and emotional abuse.
Retirement Concepts has also faced abuse allegations at its care home in Victoria, Beacon Hill Villa.
"We care for 2,200 seniors, 365 days a year," Jamal told CTV News. "The number of incidents is very low."
The care aide from Summerland has been served with a promise to appear in court in June but has not been officially charged.
As for the Rylands, they hope that care aide can't work with seniors again.
"To be victimized like that is pretty tough," said Carolyn Rylands.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Michele Brunoro
