Woman Charged With Caretaker Abuse Given Cease And Desist Order From State

Family members want answers after learning a residential care center owner faces 17 felonies for caretaker abuse.

On top of the abuse charges, News On 6 has learned the center is not licensed and the state ordered it shut down just a few months ago.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health filed a cease and desist order against Robyn McKinney back in September when they learned she'd been operating the facility without a license.

1/18/2017 Related Story: Mayes County Residential Care Center Owner Charged With Caretaker Abuse

One person who has a loved one in McKinney’s care heard our report and said it shocked her.

"I saw it on Channel 6 news. I was busy and the news report came over and I heard Branding Brook and I came back in and heard her name mentioned and it shocked and scared me," she said.

The woman wanted to remain anonymous because she didn't want to cause problems for her loved one still in McKinney's care. She's been working to get that loved one out of the facility.

“It's been a nightmare to try to find some places because there's not that many places for people to go because there is a waiting list," she said.

Since our report, the woman heard McKinney isn't even licensed.

We learned the Oklahoma State Department of Health filed a cease and desist order against McKinney last September. It says she "owns and operates an unlicensed residential care home in Vinita."

The order says McKinney cared for 14 "elderly or infirmed residents," and at no point does McKinney "disclose to the people she cared for that the facility wasn't licensed or authorized to operate."

The woman said when she visited her family member the home was dirty and seemed sketchy. Now, she wishes would have done more.

"Check it out real well,” she said. “Check out their license, what kind of place it is. Go look around, talk to the people. Don't just take it on faith."

McKinney contested the state's cease and desist order and they set a hearing for February 8th. She'll also be heading to court on the criminal charges.

We tried to talk with McKinney but she closed the door in our face.