ft. PIERCE, Fla. (WFLA) — A caregiver has been charged after an elderly woman was found to be severely ignored during a welfare check, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said.
Lawmakers went to the residence on July 18 to perform welfare checks and found a woman living in “very dangerous and unsanitary conditions.”
The woman was about 90 pounds and there were insects that had raw hair and body raw, deputies said.
The caregiver appeared clean and raised, but the older woman “is a sign that there is visible shit in her person, which is a sign that she has not been soaked for a long time,” SLCSO said.
The house itself was in an aging state, with no running water, and the roof and interior walls collapsed. Insects and cats also invaded.
Caregiver, 56, Melanie Hess, was charged with negligence by an elderly person and negligence by an adult with disabilities, and was taken to the St. Lucie County Jail.
The elderly victims were taken to a local hospital for medical evaluation.
