REGINA – A former care aide will spend the next year on probation after slapping a resident at the Regina seniors home she worked at.
Tessie Weigetz, 56, was first charged with assault on December 31, 2014, after Santa Maria Senior Citizens Home had passed a video of the incident to police earlier in the month.
In addition to probation, Weigetz will have to do community service and was ordered to write an apology to the victim and his family.
Court heard Monday that Weigetz also dismantled the resident’s alarm system so he could not call for help.
The victim’s family says they installed a surveillance camera in November 2014 because the senior, who suffers from dementia, had complained of being hurt during the overnight hours.
In a victim impact statement, Doreen Small, the victim’s wife, said her husband always described his tormentor as “the woman in red.” Small said she feels guilty for not doing something to help her husband sooner.
Crown prosecutor Mitchell Miller called it a breach of trust. “This gentleman is in, basically, what’s his home. The family is expecting he’s taken care of well and I think that standard was breached.
“Nobody should be assaulted in their own home.”
“It’s just felt never-ending, so we’re very relieved that it’s finally over now,” said the victim’s daughter, Lori Hallas. “Maybe we can move forward and make changes to the system.”
Weigetz had pleaded guilty to the charge. Her lawyer noted a 15-year, “excellent” employment record prior to the assault, saying she’s sorry for the incident – also admitting frustration, feeling Santa Maria was understaffed at the time of the assault.
Both the Crown and defense agreed on the sentence.
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