Savannah group home caregiver indicted on neglect charges involving disabled adults

CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - A Savannah group home manager has been indicted by a Chatham County grand jury on charges of neglecting disabled adults in her care.

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr announced Tuesday that 50-year-old Latisha Blake-Ulmer faces three counts of neglect of a disabled adult following an investigation by the state’s Medicaid Fraud and Patient Protection Division.

According to court documents presented to the grand jury on Sept. 23, Blake-Ulmer was responsible for the oversight and daily care of disabled residents at a Savannah residential facility.

Investigators allege Blake-Ulmer locked residents outside the facility on several occasions without sufficient clothing or shelter from adverse weather conditions. The indictment further alleges that a resident under her supervision suffered a fractured collarbone and severe upper-body bruising that went untreated and ignored for multiple days.

“For anyone to knowingly neglect a disabled patient is egregious, and we won’t hesitate to prosecute those responsible,” Carr said in a statement. “We’re fighting to ensure Georgia’s patients are safe and receive the quality care they deserve, particularly our older and disabled adults.”

State officials launched the investigation after receiving a referral from the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.