Man who uses wheelchair suffers brain bleed after home health aid neglects him

A man who must use a wheelchair was left to struggle on the ground for hours. Collier County investigators say his home health aid left him there. Now, she’s facing elderly neglect charges.

Thursday, Collier County Sheriff’s Office arrested home health aid Isemene Hyppolite, 42, after she put a man in his wheelchair, walked away and didn’t return for hours.

During the time Hyppolite left her patient, CCSO says the victim fell, hit his head and started bleeding.

“Do your due diligence if you’re going to hire a caregiver to make sure that the agency is vetted, and they’ve had a background check,” said Nancy Zelden, the owner of Seniors Helping Seniors.

Zelden says it’s important to get to know a caregiver before letting them into a home

“Find out about the agency, maybe set up a meet and greet,” Zelden said. “It’s about making sure they are happy.”

Zelden says the number-one thing she looks out for in a caregiver is compassion.

“Compassion is you love what you do every day,” Zelden said. “You get up, and it’s a smile.”

Taking the correct safety measures at home is also a good idea. Cameras can help homeowners know what’s going on when not present. That’s how investigators were able to find out that Hyppolite had left the man for so many hours.

The next day, caregivers took the man to the emergency room, and he suffered from a brain bleed.

Hyppolite told investigators she works at Senior Helpers. We reached out to them for comment, and they have not responded.

Hyppolite faces a charge for Neglect Elderly or Disabled Adult with Great Harm.

Hyppolite is in custody at Collier County jail.