“Not only was medication missing but also money and jewelry. Mom always kept money on hand for incidentals, such as outings and personal care needs. Some of the jewelry taken consisted of her wedding ring, mother’s ring and bracelet.”
So reads a daughter’s letter that told of her mother’s heartbreak.
“She still cries…” the letter states.
The letter was in connection with the criminal case in Brown County against Catherine Delossantos, who worked at Hampton Manor in Howard, according to court records. Delossantos was convicted of misdemeanor theft in the case referenced in the letter.
“I am truly sorry for my actions and my wrongs,” Delossantos said in an interview.
“Every day I think of what I did… you know, it’s crushing.”
Court paperwork lists December 2017 as when the theft began. Delossantos had a drug fraud conviction as of September 2016, records show. The woman identified in court documents as the owner of Hampton Manor declined to comment for this story.
Working in Wisconsin assisted living
A theft or fraud conviction does not bar someone from getting work as a caregiver at Wisconsin assisted living homes.
Some convictions, like homicide, sexual assault, and battery, do come with automatic bans from such work, absent a special exemption.
Laura Wartick, also known as Laura Vandenheuvel, had prior forgery and theft convictions when, as an employee, she used the personal account information of a resident at Cottonwood Manor in Green Bay, according to records and court paperwork.
The resident had “underlying health issues and possibly memory type issues,” according to court paperwork.
Wartick denied the allegations to investigators, court paperwork said, but she was convicted of felony misappropriate ID info in that case in November of last year and sentenced to 12 months in jail, records show.
Wartick declined to comment.
A message left at Cottonwood Manor requesting comment was not returned.
Spy Camera
“What I did was not right, I admit that,” Mary Reeck told police.
A family member set up a spy camera at Aster Assisted Living in Waupaca County’s Clintonville after a resident’s money was missing, according to a police report.
Reeck was the suspect in the case. When police told her the thefts added up to more than $300 in the case of a man in his 90s, she did not believe it.
“But, the camera doesn’t lie,” Reeck said. She was convicted in March of misdemeanor theft in the case. Reeck declined to comment for this story. Below the following video is a letter (redacted in part by NBC 26) from Reeck's court file.
Mary Reeck Letter by Jon Erickson on Scribd
NBC 26 did not find proof of any criminal history for Reeck prior to this case.
A message left at Aster Assisted Living seeking comment was not returned.
Delossantos, Wartick, and Reeck are now listed on what’s called the caregiver misconduct registry. Unless they get an exemption, they are barred from getting a job as a caregiver at a state-regulated assisted-living home.
What To Do
“It’s devastating,” said Julie Button, a state advocate, when asked about the effects on victims of cases like those referenced in this report.
Button, who as a long term care ombudsman advocates for the elderly, talked in general about cases like the ones in this report.
“Family and friends need to stay involved,” Button offered as advice to anyone whose loved one needs long-term care.
“They need to visit, they need to get to know the people that are providing the care.”
She also advised a site visit before a decision is made, and said that while she cannot recommend specific locations, she can help families and friends during the search for an assisted living home.
To reach the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, call 1 (800) 815-0015.
