A Thai man in Chon Buri filed a police complaint against a female caregiver after CCTV footage showed her abusing his 78 year old bedridden mother during 10 months of employment.
The 45 year old man, Wichaphon Rungsaengchai, and his 40 year old wife, Wanlee Rungsaengchai, reported the alleged abuse to Mueang Chon Buri Police Station. The couple later contacted the non-profit organisation Saimai Survive in an effort to locate the caregiver, identified only as Nuanchan.
Wichaphon said his mother suffered a stroke two years ago, after which she became bedridden and developed Alzheimer’s disease.
The elderly woman initially lived at a nursing home, but Wichaphon decided to bring her home when her condition worsened so that the family could care for her more closely.
Due to work constraints, Wichaphon and Wanlee hired a full-time caregiver through an agency, which assigned Nuanchan to care for his mother.
Wichaphon said Nuanchan performed well during her first week, prompting him to employ her full-time. He paid her 26,000 baht per month and provided free accommodation and meals.
The couple later noticed wounds and bruises on the elderly woman’s body. When questioned, Nuanchan allegedly said the injuries resulted from accidents while the woman was using the bathroom or showering.
Wanlee later heard her mother-in-law screaming in pain and went to check on her. She allegedly found Nuanchan covering the elderly woman’s head with a cloth.
Following the incident, the couple reviewed security camera footage from inside the woman’s bedroom. They said the recordings showed repeated intimidation, beatings, verbal abuse and gagging during the 10 months Nuanchan worked for the family.
The family said the caregiver admitted to beating the woman when confronted with the recordings. Nuanchan was dismissed on August 23, and the couple filed a police complaint against her on August 25.
Nuanchan remains at large and has not been arrested or charged at the time of reporting.
Ekkapop Leuangprasert, founder of the Saimai Survive page, said he plans to coordinate with the superintendent of Mueang Chon Buri Police Station. The aim is to speed up the gathering of evidence needed to issue a summons for the caregiver.
The story Family reports caretaker after CCTV captures abuses on bedridden mother as seen on Thaiger News.
