A Harrisburg man who worked as a caretaker for an elderly woman with dementia has been charged with abuse after police say surveillance video caught him yelling at and physically assaulting his 90-year-old patient in her Enola, Pennsylvania home.
Dhyshamier Lamar Holmes, 27, faces one misdemeanor count of abuse of a care-dependent person, according to charging documents filed by East Pennsboro Township Police.
Police say the trouble started overnight on Thursday (January 30), when Holmes was recorded on video yelling and cursing at the elderly woman inside her home on the 100 block of Center Street in Enola. Then, between Saturday (February 1) and Sunday (February 2), police say a second video shows Holmes picking up the woman and slamming her onto a couch while continuing to shout profanities at her.
The case came to light on Wednesday (February 5), when an investigator from the Cumberland County Department of Aging and Community Services brought the videos to East Pennsboro Township Police. Officers reviewed the footage and moved quickly to identify and charge Holmes.
According to CrimeWatch, Holmes stands 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighs 170 pounds, and is a resident of Harrisburg. His preliminary hearing is scheduled before Magisterial District Judge Sanderson on Wednesday (April 1).
The case is part of a broader pattern of incidents involving dementia patients being abused by the people entrusted to care for them, prompting renewed calls for stronger oversight of in-home caregivers and better support for families navigating dementia care. Advocacy groups point out that more than six million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias, the vast majority of whom are cared for at home.
Law enforcement and social service agencies are urging anyone who suspects elder abuse to report it immediately, whether it occurs in a private home or a professional care setting.