LOWELL, Mass. — Jay Bousquet remembers his mother as vibrant and funny. But after what happened at the Wingate at Belvidere in Lowell, the world has seen an entirely different side of her.
"What she actually remembers from the incident, I don't know. We will never know,” said Jay
FOX25 Investigates has learned of several cases in Massachusetts where nursing home employees were accused of posting degrading photos.
"It breaks my heart for what happened to my mother, it breaks my heart for what happened to the other victims,” he said.
Bousquet is hiding his face to protect his mother the best he can after what he says was the ultimate betrayal of the 76-year-old resident.
Nursing Home Employees Violate and Humiliate Elderly on Social Media
While Jane was living here, undergoing treatment for dementia and Parkinson's, two nursing aides allegedly took unflattering videos of a confused Jane and shared them on Snapchat. Prosecutors said Jane wasn't their only target.
"All of the victims in this case were vulnerable elderly women that had dementia," said prosecutors in court.
In court last month, Sabrina Costa and Kala Lopez pleaded guilty to elder abuse, apologizing for their actions in court.
But to the families of their victims, those words ring hollow.
"They abused their responsibilities, they abused the trust that they were given to take care of these people," said Bosquet.
Elder Abuse Cited Across the Country
A FOX25 Investigates review of federal healthcare records show the incidents at Wingate aren't isolated. In fact, at least four violations were cited in our area in the last year alone.
Now action against healthcare workers who violate the privacy of the elderly on social media is being sought at the federal level
"This sort of abuse is just the opposite of human decency,” said Sen. Grassley (R-Iowa).
In March, Grassley sent this letter to the attorney general, demanding a federal investigation, saying nursing home workers need to be held accountable.
Grassley is also reaching out to Medicare and Medicaid to see if more can be done in nursing home inspections.
A Federal Push to Stop the Behavior
"The federal government has an interest here. Protecting the taxpayers’ dollars and making sure that the rules that go along with getting the federal dollars are enforced.”
FOX25 checked with Snapchat. A company spokesman said the incidents violate both their community guidelines and terms of services and the app has a tool for Snapchat users to report violations.
For Bousquet, the damage is done. He hopes stiffer criminal penalties or policy change may save another son from the same sort of heartbreak stating,
"Anything to prevent these types of things from happening again in the future, I'm all for,” said Bousquet.
FOX25 reached out to Wingate to see if they've made any policy changes since the incident. Their attorney said they have banned the use of cell phones by its employees.
Sabrina Costa and Kala Lopez were sentenced to three years’ probation.