On September 26, 2024, Polk County Sheriff’s Office Homicide detectives arrested and charged 25-year-old Beatrice Taylor of Dundee with one count aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person (F-1) after their investigation revealed that she neglected to dial 9-1-1 or provide health care to the 86-year-old male patient who was under her care when he died in his home.
According to the affidavit, Taylor, who was employed by Assisting Hands Home Health Care as a health aide, worked the evening hours at the man’s home in Winter Haven. The victim’s family hired around the clock care from Assisting Hands, which consisted of two 12-hour shifts during the day and night. The victim had recently been hospitalized and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. He was also receiving services from Good Shepherd Hospice beginning on August 14, 2024.
As a home health care aide, Taylor was tasked with watching the victim during her nighttime 12-hour shift, and in the event of an emergency, was to call 9-1-1. On August 15th, 2024, Taylor began her shift at 9:00 p.m. When she arrived at the victim’s home, the dayshift health care aide told Taylor that the victim and his wife were prepared for bed but were not yet asleep. After the day shift worker left, Taylor immediately fell asleep on the couch in the living room (per company policy, she should not have been sleeping). Taylor awoke at 1:00 a.m. on August16th, when she heard a thump coming from the victim’s bedroom. She went into the bedroom and observed him lying on his right side, on the floor, with his head wedged in between the nightstand and the bed. She told detectives that she attempted to assist him back into the bed but that he told her not to touch him, so she left him on the floor and did not call anyone, including 9-1-1 or her employer (against company policy). She then fell back asleep and did not wake up until sometime between 3:45 and 4:53 a.m.
Taylor called her parents and spoke with them for approximately 36 minutes, and then while still on the phone, she checked on the victim and found him still on the floor and now unresponsive. Her parents told her to call 9-1-1. She hung up and called Assisting Hands first, and left a message through the company portal; she then called 9-1-1 at around 5:37 a.m.
During the investigation, detectives reviewed the company’s policies, which stated:
1. If a patient falls, home aides are required to seek help which may entail calling 9-1-1. Home aides must notify the company as soon as the patient is safe (which should have happened at 1:00 a.m.)
2. Home aides are not permitted to sleep during their assigned shift unless it is a “live in” shift (Assisting Hands confirmed this was not a “live in” shift)
3. Home aides are required to submit care notes using the company portal throughout their shift to ensure assigned services are being followed appropriately.
During an autopsy, it was discovered the patient had an implanted pacemaker. The device manufacturer was later able to conduct a download and provide cardiac data stored on the victim’s implanted pacemaker which confirmed that the victim was still alive at 1:00 a.m. when the victim was initially found by Taylor lying on the floor. According to the Medical Examiner, had Taylor called 9-1-1 when she first found the victim, as required by her own company’s policy, the victim would not have died. The Medical Examiner ruled the victim’s cause of death positional asphyxia with a contributory cause of pre-existing health issues.
Detectives placed Taylor under arrest, at which time she made several statements that she had done nothing wrong and she “didn’t kill that man.” One of the paramedics who arrived after Taylor eventually called 9-1-1 overheard Taylor say to someone on the phone, “He was old anyway so what does it matter.”
Assisting Hands confirmed that Taylor had worked for them for approximately eight months. After August 16th, she did not show back up to work and they terminated her employment. She was a licensed home health aide, having completed 10 online courses and passed a state exam. She does not have a medical license and is not a nurse. The courses include caring for patients with Alzheimer’s, basic life support including CPR, using an AED, and performing the Heimlich maneuver.
“The complete disregard for Mr. Anderson’s life by the person who was employed by his family is completely outrageous, and egregious. I believe someone who was not even being paid to look after this elderly man would have immediately dialed 9-1-1 under these circumstances. Her behavior and attitude are simply deplorable. Mr. Anderson’s family members are in our prayers.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
She remains in the Polk County Jail being held on no bond.
