Santa Clara County cracks down on adult care homeowners accused of wage theft

SHE CAME TO SAN JOSE ALONE from the Philippines in 2016, expecting to be connected with a decent job and living arrangements so she could send money back home. Instead, what she encountered was a nightmare.

The Filipino woman, who was in her 60s at the time, became a live-in caretaker at a residential care home for elderly people. She asked for anonymity to protect her privacy. The woman was forced to work around the clock and was never paid overtime. She could not use the facility’s phone and the owner held onto her passport. He also made advances toward her. The woman felt trapped and lived in fear. If she left, she’d become homeless and have no income.