Bail set at $40,000 for nurse accused of ‘indecent liberties’ at Lacey memory care center
Bail was set at $40,000 this week for a male nurse accused of taking indecent liberties with two elderly female patients at a memory care center in Lacey, Thurston County Superior Court records show.
Donald R. Gifford, 58, of Puyallup, appeared in court on Monday. Court Commissioner Rebekah Zinn found probable cause to charge him with two counts of felony indecent liberties. In addition to bail, he was ordered not to work in the health care field and not to have contact with the center and the two patients, ages 88 and 90, both with severe dementia.
Charging documents give the following account:
Gifford was hired from another agency to work at the memory care center as a night shift supervisor nurse.
Court records list Roo Lan Health Care as the center where the alleged crimes occurred. However, the facility’s owner clarified with The Olympian that the incidents actually occurred at a memory care facility formerly known as The Lodges at Roo Lan that’s adjacent to Roo Lan Health Care.
The owner recently registered the trade name “Memory Care at the Lodges” for the facility where the alleged incidents occurred.
The owner of Memory Care at the Lodges and other staff discovered that Gifford allegedly looked at “old Asian lady porn” during his shift then performed vaginal examinations of two Asian women. The incidents were reported to Lacey police Jan. 2.
The center’s owner told police he has contacted the agency from which Gifford was hired and has banned him from the facility.
Gifford has no known prior criminal convictions, court records show.
Gifford was arrested on Jan. 4. Arraignment is set for Jan. 21. Gifford said he did not want to be released from custody pending further court dates.
This story was originally published January 8, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
