3 arrested on charges of elder abuse, Medicaid fraud in separate Arkansas cases

Three people were arrested in Arkansas on charges of Medicaid fraud and elder abuse in separate cases, including one instance in which an employee at an assisted living facility was seen striking an elderly woman with Alzheimer's Disease, prosecutors say.

All three suspects in the different cases were arrested or surrendered themselves into custody on Oct. 31.

North Little Rock resident Ja’Layia J. McClendon, 28, was arrested on a charge of abusing an endangered or impaired person after prosecutors say witnesses saw her hitting 82-year-old woman with Alzheimer's Disease living at a Little Rock assisted living facility. Prosecutors say the woman was left with bruises on her face and forearm.

Trey Franks, 28, was arrested in Little Rock on Oct. 31 on a warrant for the same charge after prosecutors say more than $1,000 was sent to his credit card from the bank account of a woman living in a long-term care facility in Cabot, Arkansas, in five separate transfers from September to October 2023.

The third arrest was that of Hannah Christmas, a 34-year-old Hamburg, Arkansas, resident, who is facing a charge of Medicaid fraud. She's accused of billing the Dermott, Hamburg and Lakeside school districts $5,500 for physical therapy services that were never rendered from August 2023 to April 2024.

USA TODAY attempted to contact attorneys for all three people and either could not identify one or did not hear back from them.

Elder abuse can take on many forms, including physical, psychological or sexual abuse, financial exploitation, or neglect and abandonment. The Justice Department estimates that more than 10% of people over the age of 65 suffer from some form of elder abuse each year.

Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com