Families of residents at Kane Regional Center in Glen Hazel said yesterday they're shocked and worried about their loved ones after learning that five of the center's caretakers were charged with punching and taunting a 94-year-old Alzheimer's patient, abuse police said went on for months.

"It's like your worst fear coming true," said Alfreda McCray, 31, of Washington, D.C., who visited her grandmother at the Allegheny County-operated nursing home yesterday. "You hear about it at other places, and you just trust that it's not going on here."

Four of the arrested employees were charged last month, and a fifth was charged Tuesday with abusing Thelma Bryant, a long-term resident at the facility who uses a wheelchair and can't care for herself without staff help.

The suspects, all women, were charged with cursing and laughing at Ms. Bryant, hitting her, throwing oranges at her, and, in once instance, pouring lotion over her head, among other offenses. Staff members told police they saw the employees assaulting Ms. Bryant, who suffers from short-term memory loss, over the course of at least six months.

Ms. McCray's grandmother, Mozell Winston, 75, suffers from dementia, can't speak and has lived in the facility for about four years. Like Ms. Bryant, she requires the aid of caretakers. But this week's news is the first time Ms. Winston's family has had any serious concerns about her treatment at Kane.

"You just never know what people are doing," Ms. McCray said. "She has no way to provide us feedback."

Arrested last month were Danielle Taylor, 46, of the North Side; Shelly Keene, 35, of West Mifflin; Karen Perry, 46, of Homestead; and Shalaya Hatten, 30, of the Hill District. Their charges range from aggravated assault and neglect of a care-dependent person to harassment. A fifth employee, Mary Ann Bower, 57, of Munhall, was charged Tuesday with harassment of Ms. Bryant.

County officials immediately suspended the employees and later fired them. Dennis Biondo, Kane's executive director, said in a letter to families that the incidents were isolated.

Director of nursing Theresa White said yesterday that she had no additional information about the abuse.

Ms. Bryant's family was notified about the abuse, a county spokeswoman said, and she still lives in the facility. Property records show Ms. Bryant used to live in the 7200 block of Race Street in Homewood, at a home with windows that are now broken and boarded.

A relative declined to comment yesterday.

"I was livid," said Margaret Granby of Wilkinsburg, of hearing news reports of the abuse. Her father has dementia and has lived in the facility for about four years. She said she has had concerns about hygiene, staff-to-patient ratios and some of her father's clothing that has gone missing, but hasn't worried that he's been hurt.

"When I've brought my concerns to them, they have listened," Ms. Granby said. Still, she added, the abuse is "a sad state of affairs."

Louise Dekker of Chesapeake, Va., said her mother, Mary White, 89, lives on the second floor -- the same as Ms. Bryant, though Ms. Dekker has never met her. She said the caretakers that help her mother "have been nothing but kind to her" and "seem to be looking out for what's best for her," which made news of the abuse unexpected.

"If you can't handle this type of work, you shouldn't be in it," she said.

For her, the abuse was also shocking because police said it had gone on for six months.

"That's ridiculous," Mrs. Dekker said. "I would have thought they could have acted a little quicker."

Mrs. Dekker's husband, Clinton, said he believes conditions at the facility will improve in the aftermath of the arrests, because supervisors might be keeping a closer eye on their staff.

"In some ways, this one is getting more attention now," Mr. Dekker said. "But what kind of checks and balances are in place leading up to an incident like this?"