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An article in the Santa Barbara, California Independent, reports the continued need for background checks to be run on home service workers helping inside the house, especially if it involves taking care of an elderly person.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s department arrested a caregiver on charges of financial elder abuse. Christina Dee Bailon, 38, was arrested on charges of stealing money from an 80-year-old woman in Goleta. Detectives responded to a tip from the elderly woman’s accountant, who indicated that Bailon may have been taking advantage of her employer. After conducting an investigation, deputies were able to arrest Ms. Bailon for a violation of probation and, according to a Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department news release, she is currently being charged with commercial burglary, forgery, and financial elder abuse, with her bail set at $250,000.
Christina Bailon, who worked for the woman for only two months, is suspected of having stolen and cashed checks worth a total of $10,580 from multiple bank accounts. Sheriff’s investigators are now attempting to discover whether or not Bailon is responsible for defrauding other victims.
In order to prevent financial elder abuse, a statement issued by the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department recommended that people looking to hire a caregiver “conduct a background check and ask for references, which should be thoroughly verified."
In addition, Claudia Bernard, owner of Protection Plus Solutions says, “There are ways for families to successfully screen an applicant who wants to work with an elderly person. Why hire someone without knowing all the pertinent facts about them? A thorough background check and verified resume should be a priority when allowing anyone to care for your loved one. You shouldn’t hire someone just because they’ve worked for your neighbor, co-worker or someone you met at church," she says.
Families need peace of mind in knowing that the care provider they’ve hired is crime-free. Bernard says families should conduct a thorough background check including a department of motor vehicles check - especially if they’ll be driving their loved one to and from medical appointments - social security card verification, and sex offender check. While the vast majority of care providers are caring and dedicated individuals, there are those that slip through the cracks; thus, a background check is important to protect your loved one.
