CASSELBERRY, Fla. – A worker at a group home in Seminole County was arrested after a patient was found with facial fractures and severe bruising, according to the police department.
In an arrest report, police said they learned from staff at The Gardens of Eastbrooke, an assisted living facility in Casselberry, that one of the workers had struck a patient’s face with an object on Oct. 27.
The worker — identified as Kassandra Aihe, 24 — had been trying to help a patient with dementia back to her room, which is when the patient “became combative,” prompting Aihe to grab her by the hair and pull her to the room, the report shows.
Once inside, the patient could be heard screaming for around five minutes until another staff member arrived to help, investigators explained.
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According to staff at the facility, both Aihe and the assisting staff member later wrote up reports about what happened to the patient.
Those reports showed that after the patient began resisting, Aihe struck her face with an object before striking her face against the wall, causing facial injuries and bleeding, police said.
Investigators stated that the patient was taken to the hospital on Oct. 29 after she showed severe bruising, and medical staff said that she had suffered fractures to her nose and face.
As a result, police showed up to the facility on Thursday afternoon to arrest Aihe, the arrest report states. The patient’s husband also said he would pursue charges against Aihe on his wife’s behalf, police added.
Aihe faces a charge of battery on a person at least 65 years of age. She bonded out of jail on Friday.
To report elder abuse, you can call the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-962-2873 or go to the Department of Children and Families’ website by clicking here.
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