An aged care worker has been charged after she allegedly used a 104-year-old resident's stolen debit card to spend thousands of dollars in three days.
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The 32-year-old woman from Brisbane was charged with 40 counts of stealing after her arrest on October 28 following a two-month investigation.
Police will allege the woman used her employment at an aged care facility in Redland Bay to steal the 104-year-old man's card.
She then used the card to make thousands of dollars in unauthorised personal purchases and withdrawals between August 19 and 21, police will allege.
Detective Inspector Wayne Francis said offences like this were "a terrible breach of trust against some of our most vulnerable members in society".
Police launched their investigation on August 21 after another employee reported the card as missing on behalf of the centenarian.
"We thank the aged care facility for alerting us to the issue as soon as the debit card was discovered to be missing and for working with investigators to get justice for the victim," he said.
The aged care facility worked with investigators throughout their inquiries, police said.
He said Queensland police was committed to working with older people, the community and support agencies to prevent harm to older people.
"We encourage all members of our community to be aware of the signs of elder abuse and to report suspected elder abuse immediately."
The woman is scheduled to appear before the Cleveland Magistrates Court on November 11.
If you or someone you know is experiencing elder abuse, there are options available to help and support.
- If a crime is happening now, call Triple Zero (000).
- Those seeking information and advice on elder abuse can call 1800ELDERHelp (1800 353 374) to connect with the phone service in their state or territory.
Ayden Dawkins
Ayden is the digital editor for ACM's Victorian mastheads.
Do you have a story that should be told? Email him at ayden.dawkins@acm.media
