A former caregiver charged with assaulting a woman at a seniors’ residence on the South Shore is facing more charges.

Immacula Eugene, 51, was charged Tuesday with four counts of assault and battery of three people, stealing medication and personal belongings from a patient, as well as administering a noxious poison to one patient

Last week Eugene and former co-worker Marie-Margaret Pétimé were both charged with assaulting and poisoning a resident at the Saint-Lambert sur le Golf senior's residence (CHSLD), as well as drug trafficking and theft.

The four new victims lived or worked at the residence at 555 Tiffin in Saint-Lambert, with the alleged theft occurring at another location.

Eugene had been hoping to apply for bail on Tuesday, but the Crown came forward with new evidence and pressed more charges.

Instead of heading home for the holidays Eugene was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation at the Pinel Institute, a process that is expected to take at least a month.

Last Thursday Pétimé was granted $12,000 bail and had to agree not to work with the elderly.

Both of the accused were fired from their jobs at the senior's residence in the summer, after the family of a woman who was allegedly abused contacted police with surveillance video of the events in question.

Though they were fired in September, according to La Presse, Eugene managed to get another job at another seniors’home in Saint-Lambert.

The Monteregie Health Agency could not explain how the woman was able to obtain employment after the incident, and could only confirm they launched an investigation last week.

The Saint-Lambert seniors’ residence belongs to entrepreneur Eddie Savoie who has made headlines recently for suing the families of patients who publicly complained about the quality of care in other residentce.

“There is a very strong fear among the employees and among the relatives of some residents because people fear any kind of reprisals,” said medical malpractice lawyer Jean-Claude Menard.

The case brings back ugly memories for Johanne Ravenda, who, along with her late partner, won a class-action suit against the Saint-Charles Boromée long-term facility hospital for abuse and neglect of patients. 

Ravenda said she sees the exact same pattern emerging in private facilities.

“You're telling me nobody saw this? The orderly didn't see this? The administration didn’t see this? Nobody saw what was happening and now we have new cases?” she said.

That leaves patients in a bind -- who speaks for them if they're abused, she said.

“What creates abuse and neglect is the vulnerability,” said Ravenda. “If you depend on people for your basic needs such as being washed, being fed, being positioned, that's when you become vulnerable, whether you're in public or private sector.”