Pinay caregiver, boyfriend face charges for taunting dementia patient in Illinois nursing home
A Filipina caregiver and her boyfriend were sued after reportedly harassing a 91-year-old woman, who was afflicted with dementia, at a nursing home in Glenview, Illinois.
(L-R) Jamie Montesa and Brayan Cortez (Glenview Police Department / MANILA BULLETIN)
Jamie Montesa and her boyfriend Brayan Cortez were arrested, and charged with disorderly conduct after a video clip from December 2018 circulated on Snapchat where they allegedly bullied and taunted Margaret Collins’ aversion for hospital gowns.
Montesa allegedly filmed the incident, while Cortez shoved the gown at Collins. The video was posted with a caption “Margaret hates gowns,” accompanied with two laughing emojis.
Montesa and Cortez were only suspended for six days before the police stepped in, according to CBS Chicago.
The Collins family filed a lawsuit earlier in August in Cook County Circuit Court against The Abington of Glenview due to violations of the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Joan Biebel, Collin’s daughter said in her statement: “They deliberately taunted and bullied my mom.” She added that every staff at the nursing home knew how her mom disliked hospital gowns.
Lawyer Margaret Battersby Black of the firm Levin & Perconti said on CBS Chicago: “That's exactly what this is. It's abuse, they knew that she didn't like this and they persisted in doing it.”
According to NBC News, Cortez said he was only playing with Collins, and the victim was playing along, while Montesa said she sent the video to her former co-workers, but never posted it on Snapchat.
Montesa and Cortez are due to appear in court later this month, while Collins was already moved from The Abington.