Cape Coral patient claims in-home nurse left him stranded

Writer: Jack Lowenstein
Published: Updated:
Credit: WINK News.

Florida Department of Children and Families confirmed it’s involved in a Cape Coral case of an in-home nurse accused of leaving their patient stranded locked in their room.

Neighbor Carolyn O’Hearn lives next to the home in question. She heard the commotion Tuesday morning as police and EMS showed up at her neighbor’s northeast Cape Coral home.

“My neighbor has been sick for a long time, so I was really wondering what was going on,” O’Hearn said.

We got ahold of a report from Cape Coral Police Department. It said officers got to the home along NE 8th Place. They found someone inside who claimed their in-home nurse “asked for cash for gas.” And when the patient would not agree to, they claimed the nurse became upset, unplugged a battery-operated wheelchair and blocked a bedroom door.

The person inside called WINK News from a landline asking for help. They said their in-home nurse did this on purpose. That’s when we called first responders.

“That would be horrible,” O’Hearn said. “I know that he has nurses. I see them come and go all the time here.”

EMS transported the person inside to the hospital for chest pains.

According to the police report, there doesn’t appear to be anything “definitively criminal.” But DCF confirms it’s looking into it.

The person inside the home told us the company is CSI Home Health. We reached out to the for comment but have not heard back from them.

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