An Almaty resident has alleged that her elderly father may have been beaten at the private care home Dobrota. After five days at the facility, the man was taken to hospital with head and facial injuries. Relatives reported the matter to the police, but the care home's management denies the allegations.
HOW THE MAN ENDED UP AT THE CARE HOME
As NewTimes.kz reports, Inna Lisina and her sister decided to place their father in the care home temporarily due to family circumstances. The man has shown symptoms of dementia for more than two years, but a final diagnosis has not yet been established.
The family paid 200,000 tenge for a month's stay. Before admission, staff assured the relatives that residents receive the necessary care and that CCTV cameras are installed on the premises.
A few days later, the family was informed that the man had a high temperature, and the following day they were sent a video showing him with facial injuries.
"My father is lying there beaten, they put ice on his eye, in short, his chin, his eye, his nose, in short, he's covered in blood," Inna said.
WHAT INJURIES THE DOCTORS FOUND
The female relatives arrived at the care home and demanded an explanation. The facility's director said the man had tripped and fallen.
According to Inna, management initially promised to provide video footage of the incident, but later reported that the cameras were faulty.
The woman called the police and an ambulance. The man was taken to City Hospital No. 4, where, according to his daughter, an examination revealed several fractures of the facial bones, a head injury, multiple bruises and a large haematoma on his arm.
The doctors proposed hospital admission, but the daughter declined, explaining her decision by the need to provide constant care for her father. After the incident, the care home refunded the family 170,000 tenge.
HOW MANAGEMENT EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED
The director of the Dobrota care home, Svetlana Vladimirovna, rejected the allegations of beating. According to her, Vladimir Lisin was admitted to the facility on 31 October, and five days later he fell while a member of staff briefly stepped away to fetch an afternoon snack.
The director claims she learned of the incident from a member of staff via video call at 16:22, and by 16:26 she had notified the relatives.
She attributed the absence of footage of the fall itself to technical faults which, she said, had begun as early as 22 October.
The director also stated that the man had previously done boxing, and that the fractures found could have occurred long before his admission to the care home. According to her version, the only recent injury is a bruise to the soft tissues.
The director cited consultations with medical specialists, but the published materials contain no documentary conclusions confirming the age of the fractures.
WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE POLICE REPORT
The family filed a report with the police. Inna also complained about the conduct of law enforcement officers. According to her, officers initially demanded that her father, who has limited mobility, be brought to the district police department, despite his condition.
Later, police officers came to the home, but, as the woman claims, no further action followed.
The care home's management says it has provided the police with explanations and information about the faulty CCTV cameras.
The NewTimes.kz editorial team sent an official request to the Almaty police department. At the time of publication, no response from the agency had been received.
The causes of the injuries and the circumstances of the incident have not yet been established. The published materials also contain no independent medical conclusions that would make it possible to determine the age of the fractures.
