Houston Caregiver Brenda Floyd Arrested After Being Caught On Camera Allegedly Assaulting Elderly Alzheimer’s Patient [Video]

Houston cops have made an arrest in the case of caregiver Brenda Floyd who was caught on a camera allegedly abusing a 94-year-old woman suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Police took Floyd into custody early yesterday in the January 1 incident. Authorities had released the video into the public domain via YouTube, and Houston Crime Stoppers offered a reward for any information leading to the suspect’s arrest.

The footage went viral, which resulted in tips leading to her being located and detained by cops.

In the disturbing footage embedded below, which is a clip from a longer video, Floyd appears to become angry because the elderly woman, Dorothy Bratten, fed a dog “human food.” The caregiver appears to repeatedly slap the older woman on the head and directs profanity in her direction.

Brenda Floyd, the caretaker wanted by police after she was seen on video hitting a 94-year-old woman, was arrested: https://t.co/Enf2noLEUf

— Mark David Smith (@markdavidsmith_) January 27, 2017

The woman is suffering from dementia and has difficulty communicating, so her son installed the surveillance camera (sometimes referred to as a nannycam) in the living room of the residence located at Memorial Village in the Houston area on New Year’s Eve after noticing suspicious bruises on his mother’s body.

“Floyd is charged with elder abuse, a second-degree felony, and investigators are trying to determine whether similar incidents have happened in the past to Bratten, who has difficulty speaking,” the Washington Post reported.

Arrest of Brenda Floyd in Elder Abuse case: Video shows caregiver hitting 94-year-old woman on head https://t.co/8FTSGIEGum via @abc7

— BBlueCrush? (@BBlueCrush) January 27, 2017

Floyd, 59, worked for the family as a home health aide for about three years. Upon reviewing the video the day after installing the camera, son John Bratten reportedly went to the home and fired Floyd, but she was nowhere to be found when police tried to take her into custody a few days later.

Floyd was arrested early Friday morning at a Houston apartment after a resident spotted her apparently based on the media publicity. The suspect later was released from Harris County Jail on bail in the amount of $5,000. If found guilty in a court of law, the suspect could be jailed from two to 10 years along with a maximum fine of $10,000, the Houston Chronicle detailed. She is due back in court on Monday.

“Surrounded by family members on Friday, the elderly woman showed little sign of her ordeal. She looked elegant in a striped cream-colored blouse and a beaded necklace. Her little dog was by her side. Her bruises had faded,” the Chronicle added.

As the Inquisitr previously reported, a Memorial Village police official explained about the suspect that “The family felt very comfortable with her and even assisted her with purchasing a vehicle in order to be able to get transportation to come to house to provide care and were very, very disappointed when the saw the abuse.”

The National Council on Aging claims that one in 10 Americans who are age 60 and over have experienced some form of elder abuse, which may include physical, emotional, financial, or sexual mistreatment, which is perpetrated by family members or healthcare providers. Five million seniors might be victimized by elder abuse each year based on some estimates. According to one study, victims only report 7 percent of the cases to authorities, however.

Houston ABC affiliate KTRK reported that “Bratten’s family says they’ve seen an outpouring of support since this story first broke. They also said they don’t wish something like this on anyone.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfsUBMxcJj8

Sadly, the allegation against Houston home aide Brenda Floyd that she abused the Alzheimer’s patient in her care is hardly the first instance of elder abuse that has made headlines. For example, in May 2016, a Florida caregiver was charged with attempted murder after police say she allegedly beat a 91-year-old World War II combat veteran with his portable oxygen tank and allegedly left him to die.

[Featured Image by Houston Police Department]