PCEA Thogoto Care Home On The Spot After BBC Exposé
BBC Africa Eye has released a damning exposé detailing how the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) Thogoto care home for the elderly in Kiambu County has been mistreating and neglecting its residents.
Two undercover journalists working for BBC, got employed inside the premise armed with hidden cameras and got to film the mistreatment the elderly are subjected to by the Care Home staff.
In one of the secretly-filmed videos, a resident was left unattended while eating food dumped on a table.
“If you don’t get someone to feed you, and you’re shaking, will you sleep hungry?” a resident said.
“Do you think she will be the first to die of hunger here? Many have died of hunger here. They deny them lunch and dinner because they don’t have time to come and feed them,” said another.
In another heartbreaking video, an aged woman is being caned for stepping out of the homecare’s compound.
One of the staff members is caught on camera admitting that they sometimes have to use force on the residents to make them operate within the set rules.
“Sometimes you have to use force. Even carers who start as being polite end up being aggressive towards clients,” said the staff member.
Jane Gaturu, the Care home manager, dismissed the mistreatment allegations noting that the home takes good care of the residents and does not encourage any forms of wrongdoing on their clients.
She declined to comment on the matter claiming that the home strictly observes the rule of law and remains guided by the Christian principles upon which it was founded
“The home was a non-profit organisation run on a voluntary basis which depended entirely on donations from well-wishers. But that allegations they did not take care of residents who needed medical attention were lies and malice,” she said as quoted by the BBC.
The home is said to have been established by the Women’s Guild of the local PCEA church but managed independently.
