The Ross County agency responsible for protecting a 16-year-old cerebral palsy patient is taking a second look at its policies after a hidden camera video led to the firing of a home health care provider.
Easter Seals terminated the female employee on Tuesday after the camera recorded her handling of the disabled teenager.
The camera, which was hidden in a teddy bear, showed the caregiver throwing a blanket over the crying girl's head and roughly ripping a comb through her hair.
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The caregiver also left the girl in the bathtub unsupervised for more than 20 minutes while she took a nap on the couch, 10TV's Maureen Kocot reported.
The girl's mother, Pam Allison, said she bought the camera after her daughter's behavior changed when the provider showed up for work last week.
"Jamie may not talk, but Jamie let me know that this lady was hurting her," Allison said.
The Ross County Board of Developmental Disabilities, the agency that oversees Easter Seals, said it works hard to hire the best staff possible. It said the caregiver passed a federal background check and her name did not appear on a national abuse registry, Kocot reported.
The board also said it had received no complaints about the worker until last week.
"When something like this happens it makes you sick," said Rick Marriott, superintendent of the Ross County Board of Developmental Disabilities. "It makes you think, is there anything we could have done?"
Marriott said the agency meets with patients and families every year to make sure they are happy with their care provider. Any red flags result in random spot checks, Kocot reported.
"We'll review everything after the dust settles and see if there is anything we could have done, should've done," Marriott said.
The Ross County Sheriff's Office is working with prosecutors to review the tape and decide whether criminal charges should be filed against the caregiver.
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September 15, 2009:
Caregiver Fired Over Hidden Camera Video
