Worker thefts from senior homes a growing problem
Shirley Koehler, an 87-year-old resident of the StoneRidge retirement community in Mystic, thought her caregiver was her friend until she discovered the woman had stolen from her "almost since her first day on the job."
"She acted like she was my friend," Koehler said in a phone interview Tuesday. "It was shocking to find these things missing."
Koehler, who is wheelchair bound and requires around-the-clock assistance, said Robin Gardiner, 58, of Groton, for whom a friend of Koehler's daughter had provided a good reference, stole gold jewelry, cashmere sweaters, Waterford crystal and other valuables during 15 months of employment.
Stonington Police charged Gardiner with third-degree larceny, and at a New London Superior Court hearing on Sept. 14, despite Koehler's objection, Gardiner could be granted entry into a court diversionary program, called accelerated rehabilitation, in which she will be able to clear her record of the charges if she stays out of trouble.
Gardiner does not appear to have any recent criminal history in Connecticut, according to the state Judicial Branch Website.
In general, the accelerated rehabilitation program is available only to first-time offenders.
Caregiver thievery is a wide-spread problem, despite safeguards throughout the system that are designed to protect seniors and other vulnerable patients, according to police and those who work with elderly and disabled clients.
Gardiner was employed by Visiting Angels, a Groton-based caregiver franchise whose owner, Jim Piccione, said he conducts background checks on every prospective employee and rejects anyone with a history of larceny, domestic violence or other serious crimes.
Mary Jo Riley, supervisor of Groton's Senior Center, said the problem is more widespread than reported, since many seniors are too embarrassed to admit they have been victimized.
She said the industry has some regulation, but it's difficult to find people willing to work for low salaries. Police say some of the thefts are driven by drug addiction, others by financial need.
"You don't get paid well and you're expected to do a lot and you have a lot of responsibility," Riley said. "People are tempted and people are in desperate situations."
Last week in New London Superior Court, caregiver Yadira Farias, 33, who worked for another couple residing in StoneRidge, was sentenced to 40 months in prison for stealing jewelry, silver and credit card services valued at more than $100,000.
In July, home health aide Diana Gladue was sentenced to four years in prison for stealing tens of thousands of dollars worth of items from a disabled Mystic woman.
Gladue, who worked for Recovery Resources LLC of Norwich, had a criminal record that included convictions for larceny, possession and sale of narcotics and a probation violation.
Connecticut Commissioner on Aging Besty Ritter, the former state representative from Waterford, said that with an aging population that is working harder to stay in their homes, caregiver theft is an issue that is going to disappear.
Under a new state law, effective Jan. 1, 2015, agencies that provide caregivers are required to conduct comprehensive background checks on prospective employees prior to making an offer of employment and must be registered with the state Department of Consumer Protection.
"As a state rep, for years we worked and worked on this, trying to build better safeguards to protect very vulnerable people from what I think of as very sad and despicable actions," Ritter said.
Connecticut does not have a licensing program for caregivers.
The state is involved with some placements of home health aides, who provide medical care, and non-medical providers, such as caregivers, homemakers and companions, but seniors who have the resources sometimes hire the employees directly, bypassing any vetting process that could reveal prior criminal activity.
Patients and their families can do several things to protect themselves.
Stonington police detective Cody Floyd, who has investigated a number of thefts, recommends that people store their valuables away to the extent possible when workers are entering their home and take photos of items of value and have them appraised in case they are stolen.
Pawn brokers are required to photograph every item they buy and sell, which has proven helpful in many investigations.
The pawn brokers are required to hold items only for ten days, so in many cases, the pawn shops sell jewelry and other items — often for their melt value — before the owners even realize they are missing.
Some victims receive their stolen valuables back at the conclusion of court proceedings, but others are never made whole.
Judges in criminal cases can order the defendants to make restitution to the victims while serving on probation, but based on their circumstances, the convicted thieves often are able to make only small weekly payments.
Under state law, the restitution orders made by criminal judges are converted to civil orders at the end of the probationary period, and the victims can then pursue their restitution in civil courts, according to New London prosecutor Stephen M. Carney.
The civil orders are effective for 10 years after the offender is released from prison.
Victims say the sentimental value of their stolen items can never be replaced and that they are traumatized from having a thief in their home.
At Gladue's sentencing last month in New London, Dr. Shama Kajiji, whose mother was Gladue's patient, said the items Gladue had taken were family heirlooms and one-of-a kind items.
"The sadness and shock of losing almost 100-plus years of family history still haunts and saddens," the statement said. "And I personally find this whole incident haunting and have difficulty relaxing and sleeping in my own home."
k.florin@theday.com
Twitter: @KFLORIN
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