The elderly residents were exposed to dangerous caregivers by the State as they fail to implement a 2006 law that called on departments to check each other’s background records.

The Senate Office of Oversight and Outcomes issued a statement regarding the same this Friday. An investigation revealed about 20 cases in which individuals who were not able to complete nurse assistant certifications, were allowed to work in a different type of facility for the elderly people.

About 197,000 nurse assistants of the state offer the hands-on care in nursing homes as well as other health care facilities. Most of these who were denied their certifications found work as caregivers in residential care facilities for the elderly.

J. K. lost her nurse assistant certification as she abused her blind, developmentally disabled clients, going to the extent of hitting one in head with a puzzle tray. After three weeks a Department of Public Health investigator filed a report against her and the Department of Social Services cleared J. K. to act as a caregiver in residential care facilities for the elderly.

M. A was caught stealing from nursing home residents, family and staff and so lost her nurse assistant certification.

Michael Connors, long-term care advocate for California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform said, “There is no excuse for allowing people with known histories of abuse to work in residential care facilities for the elderly or as caregivers in any other setting”.