A caregiver named Briauna Michelle Powell has been arrested for allegedly defrauding an 82-year-old Alzheimer patient in order to fund her personal expenses, including purchases from the online fashion retailer Shein and payment of her bills. This is bad and should face the law.
The exploitation of elderly individuals, especially those suffering from Alzheimer’s or other cognitive impairments, is a serious offense that can have devastating consequences.
I mean, taking advantage of someone with Alzheimer’s is just low. It’s so important to make sure our loved ones are being cared for by trustworthy and compassionate caregivers.
Powell was reportedly a caregiver for an 82-year-old woman who had dementia and Alzheimer’s. According to police, the patient was moved from Visiting Angels to another senior living facility and assigned a power of attorney as her illness advanced. The power of attorney discovered a fraud alert from Truist for a $236.37 purchase from Shein made on the 82-year-old’s Mastercard, police said.
An investigation into the charge led to the discovery of more fraudulent transactions on the patient’s account. Between February 19 to March 6, police tracked six unauthorized purchases, including a $1000 bill from Lowe’s, a car purchase, and rent payments. Authorities also determined there was an attempt to open a new account in the patient’s name.
Police traced the transactions back to Powell, who is also accused of scamming two other patients. Police have issued a warrant for her arrest, but the suspect remains at large.
“I don’t know how she thought she’d get away with it. Maybe she thought, because they were elderly and they couldn’t care for themselves, so they wouldn’t notice. If you’re preying on the people that can’t take care of themselves, we take that seriously, and we want to make sure she’s held accountable,” Suwanee Police Capt. Robert Thompson said in a statement.
It is essential for caregivers to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and ethics in their interactions with patients. The trust placed in caregivers to provide compassionate and respectful care must be respected at all times. Briauna Michelle Powell will learn this the hard way by the time the legal system is done with her.
