12/20/2025
TD Bank: An American Horror Story: hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag
Tony Caputo, Alexandra Hill, News 12, This is the story of what happened and no one wants to know someone or have the experience first hand: This is the story that any caring sole, especially a dementia caregiver dreads.
I got a call from the TD Bank branch in New Brunswick, NJ letting me know that my father — who is living with early-onset dementia — had been there for 45 minutes and “didn’t have a way home.”
His phone had died, so he couldn’t call an Uber.
I told them I was happy to get him a ride right away — I just asked them to let him charge his phone so he could get home safely and so someone could reach him if anything happened on the way.
What happened next honestly broke my heart and made me angry.
First, I was told that no one in the entire bank had a cell phone charger.
Then I was told that “the manager said we’re not allowed to give him a charger.”
When I asked to speak with the manager, another employee (who introduced himself as Deepak) got on the phone and told me there was actually no manager on site and they were not allowed to help customers, not even give them "a drink of water."
I explained (again) that my dad was having a health crisis, that this was about his safety, not a special favor. I just wanted to know he could get from the bank to home without being completely unreachable and vulnerable.
The response?
“We’re too busy for this.” And then the call ended.
So now I’m sitting with the reality that my father, who has dementia, was in his bank asking for help — and the people in that building could not be bothered to let him charge a phone or show a basic level of care and compassion.
This isn’t just “bad customer service.”
This is what it looks like when an elder with a cognitive disability and his caregiver are treated as an inconvenience instead of human beings who deserve dignity and support.
Banks see our parents, our grandparents, our neighbors every single day — people who are aging, people with dementia, people who are confused or overwhelmed. Imagine this type of treatment after years of patronage.
A moment like this is exactly where empathy and common sense should kick in.
TD Bank: Business Banking Center, TD Securities – this is not okay.
UPDATE: After 2 hours we found my Dad, at night, in 20 degree weather at the New Brunswick train station with a community of unhoused people.
