U.S. Special Committee on Aging Chair Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) released a letter Thursday asking nonmedical companion care company Papa Inc. to provide an explanation of its background screening system. The letter is in response to a Bloomberg report in May revealing that over 1,000 complaints have been submitted by Papa clients and caregivers in the last four years, which included instances of harassment, assault and theft.
Papa, which receives Medicaid and Medicare funding, is a service that connects older adults with “pals,” caregivers who help with nonmedical tasks such as running errands, doing chores, helping with transportation or providing companionship. All Pals are required to complete background checks as part of the new employee screening process. But Casey, who is the chairman of the U.S. Special Committee on Aging, said in a letter that this “raises serious concerns about the adequacy of Papa’s vetting process.”
As of press time, McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse was awaiting comment from Papa about the charges and investigation.
In the last four years, Papa reportedly generated more than 1,200 complaints, “including harassment of both clients and caregivers, dozens of allegations of sexual harassment and assault, and reports of theft and unsafe work environments,” according to a statement from Casey. Bloomberg also reported an instance of a Papa employee who was hired despite having been convicted of felony drug charges and misdemeanor domestic assault, and was later charged with the assault and kidnapping of a Papa client.
Clients also reportedly have committed abuse against caregivers. In his letter, Casey mentions that there have been several reported incidents of Papa clients putting their caregivers in unsafe situations. And measures for the safety of both parties, such as making phone numbers between clients and their providers anonymous, have in some cases been ignored.
To investigate Bloomberg’s claims, the committee has given Papa one month to provide information on how the company’s background check works, as well as any measures Papa has taken to improve the system. It also has requested a copy of all complaints against the company this year and an explanation of any trainings that might be required of employees, especially concerning medical privacy, among a slew of other requests.
“The allegations of abuse by both Papa care workers and clients, as well as the lack of training and oversight to prevent and address future problems, raise deep concerns,” Casey said in a statement.
Correction: This story has been updated to more accurately represent the complaints received by Papa Inc.
