Three women from Massachusetts, including a mother-daughter duo and a nurse, are facing legal repercussions due to their alleged involvement in the severe neglect and subsequent death of a 79-year-old woman. The victim, Dinora Cardoso, was found in a horrifying state, stuck to a mattress infested with cockroaches, bedbugs, and feces. The individuals implicated in this case are Eva Fontes Cardoso, 53, Kayla Cardoso, 31, and Lisa Hamilton, 64.
The charges against the trio include manslaughter, elder neglect, larceny, and Medicaid fraud, as per the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. Eva Cardoso, the victim’s daughter, was employed as Dinora Cardoso’s personal care attendant (PCA). Kayla Cardoso, the victim’s granddaughter and Eva Cardoso’s niece, acted as the elder Cardoso’s health care proxy and PCA Program Surrogate.
The women are suspected of fraudulently billing MassHealth for services that were not provided, including claims made while Dinora was hospitalized and even after her death. Bank records reveal that Eva Cardoso regularly transferred a portion of her PCA paycheck to Kayla Cardoso. During her tenure as Dinora Cardoso’s caregiver, MassHealth paid Eva Cardoso over $140,000.
The case came to light on May 17, 2023, when Eva Cardoso called 911, stating that her mother needed an ambulance. First responders arrived at a senior housing complex to find Dinora Cardoso in a deplorable state, covered in insects and feces. The severity of the situation was such that the victim was physically stuck to the bedding. Unable to separate the woman from the mattress, authorities transported both to the hospital. Two days later, Dinora Cardoso succumbed to necrotizing fasciitis and sepsis, resulting from infected ulcers.
A week before the 911 call, Lisa Hamilton, a registered nurse, had visited Dinora Cardoso. Hamilton reported that the elderly woman was clean, well cared for, alert, and her diabetes was well-managed. Hamilton made no mention of pressure ulcers, feces, bedbugs, or cockroaches. However, this report contradicts EMT and hospital records, which indicated that Dinora Cardoso’s diabetes was uncontrolled and the level of insect infestation would have taken weeks to reach such a level.
The defendants are set to appear in court on January 15.