Single mum catches maid abusing elderly mother

How can we protect our loved ones from the being mistreated by maids?

We assume that the maids we hire through employment agencies are reliable and trustworthy. However, we give little thought to the fact that they are strangers and can do anything when we turn our heads the other way — especially when it comes to maid abuse elderly citizens.

Horrifying video shows maid abusing senior citizen

Recently, a viral video of a maid abusing a senior citizen has been making the rounds.

The video, which was originally uploaded by Jammy Tan on 23 September 2018, was re-shared by Simon Ong.

The footage starts off with a maid hurtling the frail ah ma without any care and slamming her onto the bed, as if she were an object.

Apparently, Jammy is a single parent with a busy job. She had to employ a maid to take care of her old mum. However, barely a month after the new maid was employed, Jammy began noticing blue-black injuries on her mum’s body.

Unfortunately, Jammy’s mum was unable to notify her of the abuse since she had difficulty talking clearly.

But when Jammy questioned her maid, she responded saying that Jammy’s mum may have bumped into things a number of times somewhere else by accident.

Jammy was concerned, knowing that cases of brutal maid abuse have happened before. Working on her gut instinct that something was not right, Jammy set up a CCTV camera at home.

She was horrified at what the footage revealed.

Once Jammy filed a police report, police arrested the maid. Now, Jammy finds it hard to fully trust a maid ever again. She also wants to warn other people who employ maids to monitor how they maids behave towards their care-receivers.

Although viewers don’t know the exact date or location of the incident, many believe that it occurred in Malaysia.

You can watch the video by clicking this link, but please note it is very distressing and you should watch at your own discretion.

Tips to choose the right maid for your family

Maid abuse elderly: How do you choose the right maid for your family? | Image Source: Stock Photo

Incidents of maids abusing the elderly and children can happen even if it isn’t a daily occurrence. Here are some tips and precautions to ensure that you’ll be employing a good maid:

Choose a reputable maid agency when hiring a maid. Check out the Ministry of Manpower (MOM)’s website for maid agencies. Choose agencies with no demerit points.

Filter using these parameters – Agency Experience (preferably > 5 years), FDW Placement Volume (> 200), FDW Retention success rate (>50) and FDW Transfer rate (0 – 10).

In case of a transfer maid, do not hesitate to contact the previous employer to better understand the maid’s nature and the reason for transfer.

Other tips to prevent maid abuse elderly

If you suspect that a maid could abuse the more vulnerable ones among your family members, do heed these tips:

Set up CCTV cameras at home.
Have other family members or relatives to visit randomly.
Limit your maid’s smartphone usage.
Clearly explain what you expect of them.
Don’t become too reliant on your helper for everything.
Ensure that there’s two-way communication by always asking for feedback.

Featured image: Facebook screengrab