Two healthcare workers livestreamed themselves trying to get a diaper on a patient with dementia, and invited viewers to offer comments, according to Florida’s Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.

The two workers, who are ages 18 and 20, have been arrested and charged with exploiting the elderly, records show. Brevard County is about 45 miles east of Orlando.

“I’m disgusted.... They are two healthcare workers that were entrusted to take care of this lady,” Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said at a news conference on Friday, April 7.

“They actually put it up on a livestream platform so that their friends could watch it (and) laugh about it as they mock this elderly person in her condition. And not only did their friends laugh, they actually made comments back and forth about how she should be dealt with and be put in a closet.”

A portion of the video shared by the sheriff’s office shows the workers laughing, making jokes and teaming up to put a diaper on the woman.

The date of the livestream and name of the assisted living facility were not released.

However, Ivey said the facility “did everything right” when it became aware of the live stream, firing the two employees and alerting the sheriff’s office.

Jada Harris, 18, was arrested April 7 and charged with illegal interception of communication, abuse of an elderly or disabled adult without great harm and video voyeurism, jail records show. Bond was set at US$6,000.

Shy’tiona Bishop, 20, was charged April 7 with abuse of an elderly or disabled person without great harm and video voyeurism, records show. Bond was set at US$4,000.

An anonymous tip alerted the senior centre to the broadcast, Ivey reported.

The patient did not suffer injuries and is currently in the care of “professional healthcare workers” and her family, he said.

“My only hope is that these two (suspects) live long enough in life (that) someone pays it forward in response to their actions of how they treated this lady,” Ivey said.

He added that the commenters who were “on there laughing and mocking this poor lady” are worthy of the same criticism.

 - TNS