A CTV News investigation has revealed shocking abuse of seniors at a residential home in the Okanagan.
In 2006, two workers at Summerland Seniors Village resigned and one was fired after a complaint that one of them used a cell phone for "taking pictures of residents naked and showing the genitals, then passing the picture around on their cell phone."
CTV News obtained the investigation report into the incident through a freedom of information request.
That report indicates that the worker admitted to police he shared photos of residents with another staffer, saying "This is what you will look like in 20 years."
The RCMP recommended criminal charges, but none were laid.
In the same year, two other workers were fired for physical and emotional abuse, the report says.
In one case, a worker was seen "stuffing food in his (a senior's) mouth." When told the resident could feed himself, her comment was, "I know but he makes such a [profanity] mess."
The same worker used another profanity to berate a 94-year-old man who had soiled himself, according to the investigation report.
Another investigation into a care aide found she was rough with the seniors and "caused pain and bruising to a resident."
That same woman "twisted a resident's wrist and was heard yelling at the resident," the report said.
CTV repeatedly requested an on-camera interview with Retirement Concepts, the company that manages the residential care home.
They released a statement confirming the cell phone incident, saying, "We apologize to the residents involved and to the members of their families."
"We have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to resident abuse of any kind at our facilities and our action in this case demonstrates that we apply the policy rigourously," the statement says.
Sherri and other families say they had no idea this was going on. The facility is only obligated to inform the families directly involved.
"I wish I had known that those things were going on, because I think not letting the families know, you are protecting the person who is doing this and not protecting the residents," she said.
Interior Health was responsible for investigating the complaints, and said that they will be watching the facility further.
"While we have lots of ongoing concerns with the facility and this facility will continue to get a level of scrutiny which is probably higher than most other facilities, that level of scrutiny is appropriate at this point in time," said Dr. Paul Hasselback, Interior Health's medical health officer.
The facility faces yet another investigation, but neither Retirement Concepts nor Interior Health will say what it is about.
The results of that investigation should be known within a few weeks. In the meantime, Summerland Senior's Village is expanding, and getting ready to take on more residents when their construction is complete.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Michele Brunoro
