'Care Home' Horror: Elderly Tied, Sedated, and Silenced

From the outside, the buildings in Yagoda, Bulgaria, looked like simple rental properties. Inside, authorities say they found a nightmare.

What Authorities Found

Bulgarian officials say 75 seniors were rescued from two unlicensed care facilities disguised as “rooms for rent,” according to PEOPLE.

Though once licensed elder homes, the properties had been reclassified by the owner, evading inspection and oversight.

According to the Ministry of Justice, this allowed the operators to continue taking in residents while concealing deplorable conditions.

When officials entered - after being denied access twice - they found residents locked in rooms with no bedding and no way to open the windows. Some had their legs tied together. Others were reportedly sedated with unauthorized drugs and had been cut off from all outside communication.

Phones and ID cards were taken. Residents were told their phones would only be returned if a relative called, according to Minister Georgi Georgiev.

A Systemic Breakdown

Some of those rescued hadn’t left their rooms in years. One elderly woman was reportedly held inside for four years straight. Another resident who attempted to escape was allegedly beaten and left unconscious.

Medical care was virtually nonexistent. Injections were administered by unqualified staff, and doctors were only called when a resident died, the justice ministry stated. Hygiene was also described as “appalling,” according to the Daily Mail.

Eighteen residents were hospitalized for dehydration, malnutrition, or heart failure, though none were in life-threatening condition.

The Legal Fallout

Five individuals were arrested and are under investigation for kidnapping, violence, and negligence, according to the regional prosecutor’s office in Stara Zagora.

Authorities also seized documents from the homes and have launched nationwide inspections of similar facilities. Some victims were transferred to other care centers or nearby towns, but many families reportedly declined to take them back. A few survivors remain hospitalized.

Not the First Scandal

Bulgaria’s elder care system has long faced criticism. In 2021 and 2022, fires in care homes killed 13 people. Over the last four years, 2,090 inspections have been carried out, resulting in 240 license revocations.

Georgiev suggested these recent events are linked to broader investigations into property fraud schemes that exploit vulnerable seniors.

The scandal has renewed scrutiny on how such facilities have continued to operate - and how many more may be hiding in plain sight.

References: They Called It a Care Home - It Was Actually a ‘House of Horror’ Where Elderly Residents Were Tied Up | Dozens of People, Some Sedated and With Feet Tied, Rescued From “Houses of Horrors” in Bulgaria, Officials Say | Rescuers Save 75 People From ‘House of Horrors’ Illegal Care Homes in Bulgaria Where Residents Had Feet Tied, Were Sedated and Beaten Senseless if They Tried to Leave