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A former Madison County nursing home worker was sentenced to five years probation Thursday for her role in the neglect of an Estill County Alzheimer's patient.

Amanda Sallee was captured on a hidden camera placed in the room of Armeda Thomas granddaughter, Deborah Hamilton, who suspected the neglect of her grandmother at the Madison Manor Nursing Home in Madison County.

Thomas died almost two years ago at the age of 84. Hamilton said in court Thursday before Sallee was sentenced that the "images of my grandmother suffering from Alzheimer disease would have been tragic enough etched into the hearts and minds of our family. Instead, we have the pain of knowing she was neglected and abused by those we trusted to take care of her."

Sallee and two other workers at the nursing home were caught on tape abusing Thomas. The tape shows the workers, among other things, mocking Thomas and eating her food.

"She went hungry," said Hamilton of her grandmother. "Not from lack of food, but lack of time spent helping her to eat. Ms. Sallee went so far as to eat the food herself without even attempting to feed my grandmother first.

Thursday's testimony was the first opportunity for Hamilton to tell Sallee and a judge the impact the neglect had. Sallee, who was in the courtroom, had no reaction to the testimony, though Hamilton wants to believe her words made a difference. "I hope it did, and I hope it will impact many others," she said.

Hamilton said that since her family is now done fighting her grandmother's abuse in court, they plan to reach out to all the others who think their loved ones are going through the same thing, continuing to tell her story in the hopes to stop it completely. To aide in their effort, Hamilton's family has unveiled a foundation in Thomas' name, the Armeda Foundation. For more information, log onto their website, www.armedafoundation.org.

If Sallee violates the terms of her probation, she'll have to go to jail for a year. Hamilton says they have also filed a civil suit.