Get Answers: Vet's family struggles with caretaker

Posted at: 10/12/2009 10:24 PM | Updated at: 10/14/2009 9:57 AM
By: Jeremy Jojola, Eyewitness News 4; Matthew Kappus, KOB.com

Ernesto Herrera

Ernesto Herrera is a 75-year-old Korean War veteran battling dementia. But his daughter says he faces another battle with a neglectful caretaker.

Sharon Herrera says her father's VA-assigned caretaker hasn't been showing up. His utilities are being cut off and he is almost without food.

"It breaks my heart actually, because I don't know if there are other veterans out there that this is happening to," Sharon said.

The Veteran's Administration assigned Connections Plus of Albuquerque to take care of Ernesto. But lately, Connections Plus has been quite disconnected from its duties, Sharon said. She says the company is paid about $4,000 from the VA to pay Ernesto's utility bills.

"Basically, his phone bill has not been paid, that's the one that has been disconnected. Other utilities are in the process of being disconnected. Also, his life insurance policy has been terminated," she said.

Sharon has complained several times. But for some reason, she says the company is not responding.

"Every time I've called the company, they always say they're going to call me back. I have never received a call back, not from any of their employees," she said. "I haven't really gotten any answers, and I thought this may bring the attention I need to get."

Sharon contacted Eyewitness News 4 to help her get answers. After some digging, we found the owner of Connections Plus, Elizabeth Kathleen Dewitt, actually had her social worker license revoked by the state's social workers board last year. According to court paperwork, Dewitt was accused of taking in more than $1,000 to do a job, but then abandoned her client "without explanation."

A judge has allowed Dewitt to keep working while she appeals the decision. We tried to contact Dewitt, but we couldn't get her at her home or office.

The Better Business Bureau once considered the company an accredited business, but in the past week, gave Connections Plus a "not rated" status because it hasn't responded to Herrera's complaint. The BBB considers that a serious complaint.

Sharon says she didn't know bout the company's background until we looked into it. She now plans on filing her own complaint with the state.

In the meantime, her family has been getting their money together to take care of Ernesto.

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