HARRISBURG — Attorney General Michelle Henry announced that two Philadelphia direct care workers have been sentenced to prison and probation terms for their neglect of a quadriplegic relative, which directly caused hospitalization requiring critical care.
Rashina Long, the victim’s mother, and Jasmine Long, the victim’s sister, pleaded guilty in September to neglect of a care-dependent person and Medicaid fraud.
On Thursday, each was sentenced to two to four years in prison, followed by seven years of probation. They are prohibited from working as care workers for the duration of the sentence.
Rashina Long, 48, and Jasmine Long, 33, were employed as direct care workers to assist the man with tasks such as bathing, skin care, meal preparation, and repositioning. Due to their neglect, the victim was hospitalized in October 2022.
“The egregious conduct here by two trusted care givers is compounded by the fact that they are relatives of the man they neglected,” Attorney General Henry said. “My office will not tolerate neglectful behavior that harms people in need of care and defrauds the Medicaid system.”
An investigation by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Section revealed that the services, supposedly rendered by the defendants between December 2021 through September 2022, cost the Medicaid program more than $140,000.
While the man was in the hospital, doctors noticed he had severe pressure wounds from not being repositioned appropriately, and was malnourished and dehydrated. He required numerous procedures and treatment, including a blood transfusion and time on a ventilator.
This case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Benjamin McKenna.
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