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Caregiver at nursing home arrested for using vacuum cleaner on resident’s hair

14 Comments

A 41-year-old male caregiver at a nursing home in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture, has been arrested on suspicion of assault after he allegedly vacuumed an 86-year-old female resident’s hair by placing the device on her head last year. Police said Hiromi Takato, who was arrested on Saturday, has denied the allegation.

According to police, Takato placed a vacuum cleaner near the woman's head while she was sitting in the cafeteria in April 2019, Sankei Shimbun reported. It sucked in part of her hair but the woman was not injured, police said.

Police said several employees and elderly residents were in the cafeteria when the assault occurred. The incident came to light when the nursing home operator consulted with the authorities on Sept 18. Police said they have since received accounts from other residents that Takato has mistreated them on occasions.

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14 Comments
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Hmmm, there are attachments specifically made for grooming pet hair using a vacuum. Usually you use the blower side (many vacuums have a blower port, though not as often on modern equipment) to blow dry the hair while combing it. The "dog driers" in pet grooming establishments are simply vacuum motors used as blowers. They get just warm enough while running to dry hair and not damage sensitive skin relying more on airflow than heat to dry the hair. Human hair driers are much too hot for a dogs skin,, and maybe that of an elderly person? Alternatively you can use the attachments on the suction end to remove loose hair as you comb. Without being there and seeing how exactly the vacuum was used it is hard to say if the person was abused or not. It might not have been anything worse than a caregiver being too unorthodox for the situation regardless of any good intentions.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Patient confidentiality is taken very seriously. I was later fired for warning another CNA about that same patient in an area where somebody overheard me. Though I suspect part of the reason was to satisfy the family.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I spent years as a CNA after retiring from the military. I can tell you that the system is weighted very much against the caregivers. One of the residents I took care of told her family that she and I were having fun, to put it nicely. This poor woman was very overweight and bedridden and only time she moved was when we turned her to clean her up after she had soiled herself. Her family took the comment very seriously and I was interviewed by the police. Even after it was revealed that this particular patient had a history of making accusations, the family wanted to prosecute me because, I assumed, they couldn't admit to themselves that she had mental health issues on top of her other medical issues.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

"It seemed like a good idea at the time." Life is just one 'good idea' after another and that's why we have Japan Today to tell us about them. 'Elder abuse' is not an uncommon occurrence in any Human society because, like children, the elderly are often weak and less likely to 'make trouble' for the pathologies who practise it. But sometimes it's just stupid play. "Police said they have since received accounts from other residents that Takato has mistreated them on occasions." suggests that perhaps Takato Hirumi does not have the patience or altruistic tolerance necessary to work with the elderly. This is not necessarily a 'criminal' deficit as many of us would find such work difficult and frustrating and would, on occasion, act out our frustration. This is intolerable, though, and may be partly caused by the difficulty and insecurity of realising that one is 'burned out' and the necessity of finding not just a new job but a whole new line of work is too difficult to consider. Until something like this makes such realizations moot and the Law decides for one. Sad case. But, no injuries or serious psychic trauma here so I hope Takato-san receives an appropriate but not harsh judgement and is able to find another line of work with less opportunity for her frustration to undermine her life.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Sounds like an accident by caregiver.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

There seems to be a lot of aged carers who abuse and bully their patients.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Sucks getting old.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

I bet it goes on so often.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

It could also mean that the caregiver is being set up .

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Last year? Other accounts? Just now getting out? I guess they couldn't cover it up any longer. Kinda makes you wonder how many other parents/grandparents are being mistreated.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

What a news !

So scary !

1 ( +3 / -2 )

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