Abuse of elderly couple was perpetrated by their caregiver
I recently read an online story about an elderly couple from Ada County, Idaho who were abused by a caregiver who worked for them for seven years.
According to the story, Sherri L. Watring aged 53, was convicted of several offences stemming from abuse conduct that took place between January of 2016 and February of 2018. The names of the victims have not been published. Ms. Watring was found to have transferred money from the couple’s account to her own account without permission. She had also taken on debt under the couples’ names.
Additionally, Ms. Watring was somehow able to obtain powers of attorney for both victims. Although not many details were given with respect to the financial abuse that was inflicted, the couple were also abused in other ways.
When the husband passed away in February of 2018, Ms. Watring had him cremated without notifying family members. She was subsequently fired by the man’s family. After being fired, Ms. Watring stole the man’s cremains and spread them in an unknown location.
When the wife passed away a few months later in June of 2018, there was evidence that she had been neglected by Ms. Watring, including not being provided proper nutrition.
Prosecutors sought a 10-year prison sentence with at least two years before parole eligibility.
Ms. Watring was sentenced to 1.5 years during which she will not be eligible for parole.
Instances of elder abuse will likely continue increasing in the future
The above story is an egregious example of the kinds of elder abuse that may be inflicted by a malicious caregiver. In this case, the abuser was convicted and sentenced to jail. Unfortunately, there are many other cases where the abuse is more subtle and the abusers are not brought to justice.
The abuse can be financial, physical, or emotional. A caregiver is usually in a position from which he or she can greatly influence a dependant elderly individual’s life. For this reason, family members must be very careful when hiring a caregiver. It is also very important to be involved in the lives of elderly relatives.
As our population ages, there will inevitably be more instances of elder abuse. Stories like to one involving Ms. Watring must be shared to increase awareness among potential victims and their families.
Finally, if a person has evidence that an elderly individual was or is being abused, the proper authorities should be notified immediately.