Sandi Thomas introduced me to Priscilla Nelson (who went on to become my wife, my best friend and my life partner)
In 1986, I started a company called HANDS ON COMPUTER TRAINING. It began in an older office building near downtown Orlando. There were two offices, one for me and one that was the training room. Down the hall, I met Sandi Thomas. Sandi had her own business venture as well. Sandi and I became friends. She mentored me and listened when I needed someone to listen to. Sandi also introduced me to Priscilla. When Pris and I first met, at an ASTD meeting in Orlando, it was Sandi who realized we were a fit and she made sure we had plenty of opportunity to connect and get to know each other.
Over the years, we have kept in touch with Sandi. Earlier this year, I sent her a message and it bounced back. Fearing the worst, I searched the internet to no avail. Recently, Sandi got in touch again. Her experience over the past year plus is horrifying.
Sandi was always there for us and so I want to share her story with everyone in the hopes that we will all learn from her brave journey.
In her own words
by Sandi Thomas
I am a 69 year old female. Luckily, I have all of my faculties. My problems are diabetes and arthritis. Last year, when I finally accepted the fact that I was not taking proper care of myself, I opted to give up my apartment and go into an assisted living facility.
I was referred to a woman, Trudy Fiorantino , who promotes herself as a placement specialist for Assisted Living Facilities (ALFS). Ms. Fiorentino referred me to a place with the Misnomer “Eden” which I later discovered was not even a valid ALF. And, defiantly no “Eden”. The facility is owned by a woman named Asta Bati from Ethiopia. On my way to the facility, when I mentioned to the cab driver that the facility was run by an African, he became quite agitated. He said that there was some sort of African conglomerate that specialized in ALF,s The main concern of these people was making money He said that they come to our country and under the guise of providing care, warehouse our elderly and disabled strictly for profit. “They’ll rob you blind and you ‘ll be lucky to get a decent meal”. I chose not to believe him and chalked it up to bigotry. Was I ever naive!!
Soon after I arrived, I discovered that my personal belongings, that had been sent ahead, had been opened, gone through and Ms. Bati had helped herself to whatever she wanted.
Over 50 years ago, my late mother had crocheted an exquisite Moroccan style bedspread. Over the years we have treated it with “Kid gloves” having it dry cleaned and carefully wrapped in tissue. Although the bedspread was in a blanket bag in a sealed box Ms. Bati took it upon herself to unpack it and wash it in bleach not once but twice. Weakening the 50 year old threads and causing irreparable damage. I was livid. Ms. Bati felt that I was ungrateful because she claimed that it was dirty. Of course she did not know the difference between off-white and dirty. A problem she would not have had to deal with had she not opened a sealed package without my authorization.
The care giver, Florence, was a woman from Kenya, working illegally on a visitor’s visa. She claimed to be a nurse. Her lack of knowledge regarding patient care belied that claim. She often commented on what nice clothes I had. And, once I caught her trying them on.
On one occasion she threatened me with physical violence because I was feeling ill and refused breakfast. She grabbed me by the nape of my neck, forced my head back and told me that I would eat it if she had to force it down my throat. Her plan aborted when my fist made contact with her abdomen. On another occasion she informed me that the only rights I had were the ones that she allowed me.
As for the food. Neither woman could cook nor operate the oven. This led to undercooked fish sticks and other putrid culinary disasters. Additionally many of the foods had labels that none of us recognized. Considering all the recalls on food from China, we had no way of knowing whether or not we were being poisoned.
On one occasion when I was low on minutes, I used the house phone. That evening an associate of Ms. Bati’s came in to my room and reprimanded me for using the phone. She also accused me of inciting the other residents to complain about the food. Assuming that the others did not have the sense to realize how awful it was. One of the other residents had been in the food service industry for over thirty years. All I knew was that the food was awful. The other lady knew what made it so awful. She left a week later.
On another occasion, another female resident decided to order pizza for us. We did not eat it all. There were leftovers (there were only 3 of us). The next day for lunch we had some awful boiled chicken (a very tiny chicken). The male resident got a drumstick and the thigh was split between the other lady and myself (It was not a thigh big enough to be split). The meal was horrid. But, in the next room, madam and her son were enjoying our left over pizza,
The last straw came when this Trudy Fiorantino (whom I now understand is being investigated for unethical practices and Medicaid / Medicare fraud) came to my room and threatened to have me removed bodily to another facility, whether I liked it or not because I was “ruining her reputation”. As far as my mother’s bedspread was concerned she said that I would just have to “get over it”. When she left I put in a call to the Ombudsman’s office.
A day later an inspector called. It was then that all of the other violations came to light. The two women were not even good liars; they kept tripping over their tongues. The next day an inspector from DCF came. Because I am a diabetic and my sugar was almost 600, the inspector recommended that I go to the hospital. As I was being wheeled out to the ambulance, Ms. Bati informed me that I could not come back. The inspector informed me that I was now a ward of the State.
My pastor recommended a church member, Nancy Fernandez, to act as my Senior Advisor. I asked Nancy to have my belongings put in storage. She said that she would handle everything.
After a week in the hospital, since they had no idea what to do with me, I was released to the Terra Vista Rehab Center on August 1st. My time at Terra Vista is very hazy. I was secure in the knowledge that my belongings were being taken care of.
This turned out to be a wrong assumption. In mid-October I was released to another ALF. This one is quite different from what I had experienced at “Eden”. It is clean, well run, the food is good and the people are wonderful, or so I thought.
The day after I arrived here Nancy came by with some of my belongings. It was then that I discovered what Nancy’s way of “‘handling everything” was. She had chosen to go through all of my personal belongings and decide what I could and could not keep. She chose to throw away items without consulting me, or assessing their value. One of these items was my mother’s antique bedroom chair. It was in excellent condition and had recently been re-upholstered. She claimed that the arms were broken and so she threw it away. When I left the chair was in perfect condition. Any destruction of the arms had to occur while the chair was at “Eden”. Many of my clothes are missing, including garments that I had never worn. It’s a good guess that they went back to Kenya with Florence.
Nancy’s most heinous decision involved my life’s work. I am an artist. I have been for over 50 years. I have studied with some of the great masters of our times. I have attended workshops around the country and in Europe. In addition to my own work, I had works by several friends and art work that I had collected from around the world during my 20 year stint as an airline employee. Since my brother, a framer who handles many major art exhibits in New York is responsible for most of the frames, even my frames are valuable. Nancy claims that all of my art work and equipment (approx $3000.00 worth of supplies) were donated to the Orange County School system. At the time I was so traumatized that I took her at her word. She claimed that she had made a mistake. However, I now wonder if the “donation” was in fact some sort of cover up.
One of my paintings actually had the “First Prize” Blue ribbon attached to it. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that donating the work of another without permission amounts to theft and Nancy never struck me as the Village idiot. Consequently I can only conclude that her actions were deliberate and malicious. Since then she has not taken or returned my calls. She still has admittedly more of my belongings in her possession but, has made no attempt to return them.
Nancy also told me that Ms. Bati had agreed to let the rest of my belongings remain at “Eden” until I was relocated. When the administrator of my present ALF went to Eden to collect my things, he was told that they were being thrown away so, she was keeping them. He was allowed to take a few items. My custom made ($1800) captain’s bed was destroyed. My television was now inoperable. My Lexmark printer was destroyed. Fortunately, my computer was not damaged. And, he found three of my paintings in the garage. These paintings, although I am happy to have them, are from the early ‘70s and late 60's and are not representative of my current work..
Among the items that she will not release are an afghan my grandmother made for me over 50 years ago. An afghan that I made for my father’s sister and that was returned to me when she passed away. The Bible that my God-mother gave me at my High School Graduation (1957),passports, all of my books (some first additions and some autographed) and furniture including an antique China closet. She also kept my Camera, linens, comforters and kitchen equipment, costume jewelry. Most of the things that she is keeping are of no benefit to her but mean the world to me. Adding insult to injury, I cannot accept any painting commissions because
1. I cannot afford to replace my equipment at today’s prices
2. I cannot show the work that I am capable of producing to justify my rates.
Not only have these two women robbed me blind, they have made it almost impossible for me to ply my trade.
In November I contacted Adult Protective Services. I filed a complaint of senior exploitation. Recently, I found out quite accidentally that the case was closed and that the matter was now in the hands of law enforcement. However, I don’t know what that means. I have not been contacted nor given a case number. I have no idea what action if any is being taken by law enforcement.
All that I am asking is for the return of my possessions which Ms. Bati has stolen, reimbursement for the items that she has destroyed and compensation for the items that Ms. Fernandez so generously donated and disposed of without my knowledge or permission.
It is important that other seniors be protected from such unscrupulous predators.
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