Victimized by her CNA, a Woonsocket woman's pleas for justice are ignored
"Kathleen has not received justice for this. There is horrific proof that it happened and the police, the hospital, and the Attorney General's office have not given her justice."
This is a story about a failure of justice. Many people and institutions contributed to this failure: The Rhode Island Attorney General, The Rhode Island State Police, the Rhode Island Department of Health, the Woonsocket Police Department, Landmark Medical Center, the Rhode Island Office of the Mental Health Advocate, The Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals, and Nursing Placement.
Kathleen Renaud is a 61-year-old resident of Woonsocket. She has many medical issues and is disabled. She is mentally sharp and was funny and pleasant during my interview with her, which, given what she has endured is a testament to her character. The interview was conducted in the Woonsocket Public Library, with her social worker in the room with us. This social worker and Kathleen's previous social worker have worked hard to escalate her story through official channels and find justice - to no avail.
Because I was unable to contact the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at the center of this story, I have redacted her name, but her name is all over the official reports I obtained. The Rhode Island Attorney General, the Rhode Island Department of Health, the Woonsocket Police Department, Nursing Placement, and Landmark Medical Center have not responded to a request for comment as of this writing.
The following has been lightly edited for clarity.
Kathleen Renaud: I'm here to tell you my story - what happened to me and how I got no justice.
I was living with my brother in Woonsocket. We shared an apartment. I had a CNA, Melissa C-------, who used to come and clean for me and do my laundry - the things I can't do. My brother was extremely verbally abusive to me. He was bad, and he used to make me cry all the time, and the CNA had seen this every time she was there to help me out. I was a wreck. I was shaking all the time.
C------- said, “I want to get you out of here. I'm going to take you to my place. You're going to move in with me because nobody's going to abuse you in front of me.”
And I said okay. I didn't know anything was wrong with it, so I went to her place at the beginning of December 2022.
She moved all my stuff in, and for the first two weeks, being at her house was fine. I was cooking for her. I was cleaning her house. I was taking her out to eat every day with my money. I was doing everything for her, taking care of her cat, her dog, everything.
I remember being awake for the first two weeks that I was with her, because we went to mass each Sunday, and that's how I know I was awake. After the mass that second Sunday, I never woke up.
Steve Ahlquist: You went to sleep and didn't wake up?
Kathleen Renaud: Yes.
Steve Ahlquist: For how long?
Kathleen Renaud: Two weeks.
I was almost dead. My son and my daughter - you have to get the backstory. I always FaceTime my daughter Katie, every morning without fail for years, and she hadn't heard from me. When Katie spoke to my other children, Meghan and Josh, they said they hadn't heard from me. I never came by for Christmas, which I was supposed to. They couldn't get ahold of me. Every time they called my phone Melissa would pick up and she would say, “She's not feeling well. I'm taking care of her. She has an upper respiratory infection.” This is what my children told me.
I didn't wake up until I was in the hospital. When my kids found me in her apartment I was in her bed, which was full of dog pee and dog poop. She let her dog pee and poop all over me. I was unconscious. I had a broken eye socket, a cracked forehead, and several broken ribs on my left side from being in one position for too long. I did something to the nerve in my elbow, which I need surgery for now because I have no feeling.
My kids called the police. The police came up. They took pictures of all these medicine bottles that she had on her counter that were not in my name and not in her name, but she had a slew of them.
I didn't know what happened until I woke up in the hospital. They gave me Narcan three times. I've never had Narcan in my life. I've never OD'ed. I was barely breathing when my kids found me and the police told them to call a rescue immediately. The rescue people said I was ODing and gave me Narcan. Mind you, I was unconscious, so I don't know how, but they said that I was ODing. They had to give me Narcan. They gave me Narcan. I still didn't come to. They gave me Narcan in the ambulance. I still didn't wake up. They gave me another shot of Narcan in the hospital. I guess that's what woke me up. I don't know.
The hospital took blood work and said I was ODing on Percocet. Now, I don't know if the pictures here will show, but it looks like I have three shot marks on my leg. I don't know how they got there. I don't use needles. I don't like needles. I'm afraid of them.
When I woke up in the hospital, the doctor told me I had OD'ed and I said, “I what? I've never OD'ed.”
I've been on Percocet since 2006 because I was hit by a hotel.
Steve Ahlquist: You were hit by a hotel?
Kathleen Renaud: I was hit by a portion of the hotel. A corner cement molding fell 30 feet onto my head, neck, and back. I suffered brain hemorrhaging - the whole nine yards. That's why I have all these things wrong with me. And that's why they prescribed the Percocet because I have fibromyalgia and everything. It's to offset the pain.
But I don't take Percocet that often. I am very careful with medication, and my doctor knows this. So when he heard that the hospital said that I OD'ed, he couldn't believe it. He still doesn't believe I OD'ed by myself.
Here’s the complaint written to the Rhode Island Department of Health by Kathleen’s previous social worker:
“My patient was brought to CNA Melissa C-------'s [home] at the end of December 2022. She spent two weeks living in her CNA's home. She had been held captive and was physically abused and deprived of medical attention. My patient's children were concerned for her well-being and went to the CNA's home with law enforcement. 911 was called due to the severity of my patient's injuries, she altered mental status, and her illness. She was admitted to the hospital for approximately one week. She had fractured ribs, a black eye, and bruises all over her body. She had Narcan administered for an opioid overdose. She had Covid, pneumonia, and dehydration.”
You can read the full complaint in the footnote.1
Kathleen Renaud: In the hospital, I woke up and the detectives were there. I couldn't tell them anything because I didn't know anything at that point. I didn't even know where I was. Plus, I have a problem with short-term memory loss. So I told them, “I don't know what to tell you.” They never came back to take a statement. They refused. They took the C-------'s word for it, and that's it.
Here’s the text of the police report from Woonsocket Police Officer Cameron Hill:
“On December 30, 2022, at approximately 5:40 pm Officer Violette and I responded to an apartment to assist Woonsocket Rescue. Dispatch advised of a 59-year-old female who had severe injuries due to a possible domestic disturbance. Sgt Green responded to assist.
"Officers arrived on the scene and made contact with Woonsocket Rescue who directed us to the back bedroom of the apartment. In the bedroom I observed there to be a female later to be identified as Kathleen Renaud, to have a severely bruised right eye and to be covered in bruises throughout her body. The female appeared to be highly intoxicated as she was unresponsive. Rescue advised that they had given Kathleen a dose of Narcan.
“I then spoke to the children of Kathleen - Joshua Renaud and Meghan Renaud. Both Joshua and Meghan stated that they had not heard from their mother for approximately six days. Joshua and Meghan advised that the last time they spoke to Kathleen, they were only able to via telephone. When they had previously spoken to Kathleen, her roommate, Melissa C———, had answered the phone and would speak for Kathleen rather than letting her speak to her children. Melissa would assure both parties that Kathleen had some sort of respiratory illness and needed to rest. Both children continued to state that they were concerned for Kalhleen's health and decided to go check on her.
“When they arrived at the apartment, [the children] advised that they observed Kathleen to have a severely bruised right eye and to have a variety of lacerations and bruises that covered her body. [The children] further stated that they observed Kathleen to be incoherent and unable to move on her own. They advised that Kathleen had a variety of medical conditions, in which she takes oxycodone for the pain. Meghan further advised that Kathleen had a history of abusing prescription medication and would be known to take a lower dosage than prescribed. Due to seeing the condition of their mother, Meghan contacted 911. I then spoke to Melissa C------- about what happened. She insisted that Kathleen had obtained the bruises on her person due to falling several times. Both Meghan and Joshua completed a written statement.
“I then spoke to Melissa. Melissa advised that for approximately one month, Kathleen had been living with her. Melissa went on to state that Kathleen has a variety of medical conditions that include: tremors, traumatic brain injury, and a seizure disorder. Melissa further stated that when Kathleen went to live with her, she had a variety of bruises on her legs from a previous incident. She also advised that over the past week, Kathleen has constantly fallen. When asked what had happened to Kathleen's eye, Melissa stated that Kathleen had obtained the bruising due to a fall that she heard but did not witness. Melissa advised that she observed Kathleen on the floor and when she had helped her to her feet, she observed Kathleen to have swelling in her right eye. Melissa completed a written statement. Due to not being able to speak to Kathleen and the severity of the incident, Melissa was transported by Sergeant Greene to the station for questioning. Melissa was later released.
“Kathleen was transported by rescue to Landmark Medical Center for further medical treatment. I responded to LMC in an attempt to speak to Kathleen. While at LMC Kathleen remained unresponsive to any questions. LMC employees advised that the only response they had received from her was from a sternum rub during which she responded by saying "fuck." Due to Kathleen remaining unresponsive for an extended period, [hospital staff] were advised to contact the police once she awakes. Kathleen's injuries were photographed and attached to this report.
“Nothing further to report.”
Steve Ahlquist: Did the hospital follow up?
Kathleen Renaud: The hospital never called me. I had proof from them that I was abused - but the hospital never called the police and said I was abused. The hospital dropped the ball and then the police dropped the ball and she got away free.
Here are pictures. Some of the pictures are ugly. This is how my children found me. Bruises everywhere.
Steve Ahlquist: That bruise is in the shape of a shoe or an iron or something.
Kathleen Renaud: That's what my kids kept saying. I have all the reports from the hospital saying I was abused. I was in the hospital for a week.
Steve Ahlquist: And the police aren't interested in pursuing this? [To the social worker] Can I ask, what are the rules about a CNA bringing someone to live in their home?
Social Worker: It's unethical.
Kathleen Renaud: While I was unconscious, Nursing Placement, the company that C------- worked for, kept calling me. She kept hanging up my phone. She wouldn't let me talk to them while I was awake. I have no idea what she said to them while I was out cold.
I was almost not breathing. The doctor told me that if I had been there two more days, I would've been dead.
Steve Ahlquist: That seems to be a likely outcome of this.
Social Worker: Kathleen has not received justice for this. There is horrific proof that it happened and the police, the hospital, and the Attorney General's office have not given her justice.
Kathleen Renaud: I am so upset with the Attorney General's office. They judged me. I live in a poor house. I do. When an investigator for the office came, he was nice and acted like he was going to help me, but he judged the house because it was poor. And when he saw two expensive cars in the backyard that belonged to the people in the house in the backyard, he used that. The cars don't belong to us. No cars belong to us except my son's. He doesn't have a fancy car. The investigator used that and the fact that we live poorly to decide there must have been some shading dealings. He said to have those cars in the parking lot - He never asked me if they belonged to us. He said, “You must be doing some shady dealings with your Percocet.”
Social Worker: The man from the Attorney General's office was making a lot of judgments and he never returned my phone calls.
Kathleen Renaud: He never called me back. It's offensive. He judged me without even knowing me.
Steve Ahlquist: What do we know about this CNA?
Kathleen Renaud: She quit Nursing Placement while I was unconscious and started working for a nursing home.
Social Worker: The Department of Health gave her two years probation.
Steve Ahlquist: What does probation mean in this case?
Social Worker: She has to register where she works with the Department of Health. And if any one of her patients dies, she has to notify DOH and there has to be an investigation. She can't work in the client's home anymore,
Steve Ahlquist: The Attorney General could find out if there's a history of her having inappropriate relationships with other clients - if they were inclined to investigate.
Kathleen Renaud: She had made sexual advances towards me. She wanted me to sleep with her. And I told her I don't swing that way - excuse the terminology - but I just don't do that.
I'm 61 years old. She's in her thirties.
Steve Ahlquist: That age difference, and you being a vulnerable person - I'm not a lawyer but it feels like a possible sex crime to me.
Kathleen Renaud: Yes. My kids asked for a rape kit.
Steve Ahlquist: Are you okay?
Kathleen Renaud: I'm fine. There's nothing. That was good news.
In August 2023 the Department of Health determined that between October 28, 2022, and December 11, 2022, C------- had
fraudulently reported to her employer that she had worked at the home of Kathleen Renaud when she had not;
was living with patient Kathleen Renaud as patient Renaud had moved into C-------'s apartment; and
had sent text messages and made statements to patient Renaud regarding her interest in having a romantic relationship with patient Kathleen Renaud.
In response, DOH decided that the CNA's Nursing Assistant license will be subject to two years of probation and her license shall reflect the status of “Active Probation.” DOH also determined that C------- must be employed at a hospital or nursing facility.
C------- signed the consent order, admitting to the above.
Kathleen Renaud has received no justice for the treatment she has received. She has been ignored and dismissed by the institutions that failed her and by the government agencies that should have been interceding on her behalf.
“My patient was brought to CNA Melissa C-------'s [home] at the end of December 2022. She spent two weeks living in her CNA's home. She had been held captive and was physically abused and deprived of medical attention. My patient's children were concerned for her well-being and went to the CNA's home with law enforcement. 911 was called due to the severity of my patient's injuries, she altered mental status, and her illness. She was admitted to the hospital for approximately one week. She had fractured ribs, a black eye, and bruises all over her body. She had Narcan administered for an opioid overdose. She had Covid, pneumonia, and dehydration. Woonsocket Police Department asked staff at Landmark Hospital to inform them when my patient was well enough to speak to them. They never did this. Multiple staff in the 90-plus pages of documentation indicated that it was apparent that my patient was a victim of abuse and she named the CNA as the perpetrator. My patient was 59 at the time and disabled due to epilepsy and mental health issues. She uses Canadian crutches to ambulate. Melissa C------- should have been reported for the abuse to BHDDH (Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospital). They should have reported the CNA to the Department of Health and they did not. I reached out to Landmark Medical Center to ask if they would do the required mandated reporting even if it was 10 months late. They indicated that they would not do this... In addition to the physical abuse and medical neglect, the CNA had my patient add her name to banking information, which is financial exploitation. I additionally filed a complaint against the CNA. My understanding is that my patient's son filed a complaint but did not include full information. Melissa C------- is currently working while on probation for two years.”
Another story of marginalized and low-income folks being mistreated and denied justice, brought to light by Steve Ahlquist. I can’t understand why the AG doesn’t get involved.
MDC should never work in this field again. I hope this piece facilitates the justice that Katherine deserves, and that MDC is locked up for a very long time.