PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- In a quiet Port Charlotte neighborhood, the Courtyard Assisted Living Residence is where the elderly come to get quality care. But investigators say staff member Hillary Constant was more interested in taking care of herself after swapping patients pain meds with muscle relaxers.
"There were seven different patients from that facility targeted by Constant. They suffered some pain," said Skip Conroy with the Charlotte County Sheriffs Office.
Hillary Constant received seven counts of elderly neglect. "It's definitely frightening. It's hard to know things like that happen. You just hope that they're caught as quickly as possible," said one neighbor, after hearing about the charges.
Investigators caught Constant after she submitted a urine sample with traces of opiates in her system. Then they found her fingerprints on medicine packages with missing pills.
In a statement, administrators with the facility tell me, "With regards to Hillary and the care that the Courtyard gives, everything is done to ensure the safety of the residents and that includes medicine being given properly. Medicines are monitored to ensure that any inappropriate behavior is picked up and appropriate action is done."
Fox 4 went to Constant's house and spoke with her fiance. He claims she's innocent, but admitted she's had employment issues with the facility. I also spoke with people who live near the facility and now question the quality of care inside. When asking Jacqueline Raphael if she'd send her loved ones there she responded, "No absolutely not."
