Former nursing home operator gets probation

Accused elderly abuser Gloria Olson pleaded guilty last week before a judge, effectively keeping her out of prison.

In spite of the objections from the daughter of one of her victims, Olson will serve three years probation, pay $8,000 in restitution and will be barred from running a nursing home.

Olson, 63, of 6257 Swan Lake, was indicted in April on charges of owning or operating an assisted living facility without a license and elderly neglect.

Assistant State Attorney Don Barbee said the daughter of one of Olson's victims asked the Hernando County Circuit Judge Stephen Rushing to put the defendant in prison, but he opted for probation.

Olson's scheduled court appearance for Dec. 28 originally was a pretrial hearing, but she instead chose to enter a plea, according to records.

Barbee said Rushing didn't make his feelings known about the sentence, but said he gave the defendant probation likely because of her age and lack of criminal history.

An investigation began in January 2010 when an anonymous caller contacted the Florida Department of Children and Families hotline. Detectives eventually learned Olson had housed up to five patients at her home without a license.

A former employee told investigators that animals would run loose inside the house and patients were fed only small portions of food and water twice per day.

One of the patients also was locked inside her bedroom, according to the investigation.

A daughter of one of the patients told Hernando Today last year that Olson took away her mother's walker and tied her down to the bed. When she learned of the neglect and abuse, she removed her from Olson's home, but her health already had begun to deteriorate rapidly, she said.

Olson, who was out on bond, continues to operate a limousine company, Deluxe Rainbow Limousine, out of her home.

She was unavailable for comment Wednesday.

Witnesses involved in the nursing home investigation also complained about Olson's husband, William Olson, but he was never charged in the case.