A former Le Mars nursing home administrator has been accused of financially exploiting her stepfather who was residing at the home she worked at.
According to state records, the niece of a 76-year-old resident at a Accura Healthcare of Le Mars facility filed a complaint last month with the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing, alleging that she was notified by her uncle’s bank of fraudulent charges. According to state inspectors, the charges were found to be checks written by his stepdaughter, identified as Katrina Bruner, totaling more than $32,000. Bruner had power of attorney over some of her stepfather’s affairs.
The niece of the resident also reported concerns about the care of her uncle at the facility, culminating in a protective order being issued against Bruner on March 30th of this year. In a written petition for relief from elder abuse from the niece, she alleged that Bruner used the fraudulent checks to pay for a home remodel, to pay off credit card debt, and to fully pay off the resident’s new car.
According to court documents, Bruner filed a joint agreement with the niece in May and agreed to relinquish power of attorney, while a investigation is still ongoing. No criminal charges have been filed against Bruner as of the writing of this story.
