Investigative procedure of the theft of a resident's painkillers...?
SmartTIIam
Posts: 453 Forum Member
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I work in a care home. It is thought that somebody maybe stealing the pain killer patches from the residents by removing the patches from their bodies' I was informed by the senior nurse that they would be investigating. I have no problem with this in the slightest.
However does anybody know what procedure the care home is supposed to take? I've been asked to provide a statement.
I was wondering if anybody else had witnessed a similar situation working in a care home or hospital and if there is a set protocol to be followed?
The matter came to my attention last night as the senior nurse gave me a lift home and discussed it on the way home.
However does anybody know what procedure the care home is supposed to take? I've been asked to provide a statement.
I was wondering if anybody else had witnessed a similar situation working in a care home or hospital and if there is a set protocol to be followed?
The matter came to my attention last night as the senior nurse gave me a lift home and discussed it on the way home.
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My only advice is, if you have nothing to hide then cooperate with the investigation! If you do, and an investigation will show you as culpable, then I would start looking for a new job!
I'm not culpable. It's not me, nothing to hide. I care a lot about the residents and stealing their patches is abhorrent. But I agree. I want to cooperate.
TL : DR noted
I've worked in care for getting on for ten years, and have never heard of someone taking pain relief patches....off the patient! Some people are beyond ridiculous!
I hope it gets sorted asap, not only for the patients, but for the staff. It's hard to carry on as normal when someone is doing things like that.
Actually its isn't TL, I'm just being a lazy arse this afternoon!
I am shocked that you have "had to stop" this other carer from abusing residents (which she certainly was if they were crying out in pain! Falling asleep with a razor at someones throat I'm sure I dont have to spell out to you is worse......
Did you report these incidents to nursing staff or management?
If so you did the right thing, but if not, and this comes out during subsequent investigstion you are in big diffs, because reporting immediately is essential as part of protection of vulnerable adults, part of every care workers mandatory training, (at least in Northern Ireland anyway not sure about the mainland)
Even if its not policy, its certainly a moral issue. Anyway regarding the medication issue I would just be truthful in what you have actually witnessed.
The other employee needs removed as soon as possible if what you say is true, I wouldnt want her caring for any vulnerable adult:mad:
Arrrrrrgh just reread and you said that saying something will look like sour grapes.......sorry but the wellbeing of the folk in your care is the first priority, in my opinion.
You are there to keep the wellfare and dignity of the service users, not worry about ruffling other staff members feathers. POVA (as well as NVQ) outlines all this, and it is your duty of care to ensure the service users are treated & cared for correctly.
Being over cautious is better than dismissing something that, in turn, could be a life or death situation.
Report it.
I am not worried about other staff per se but I have complications that most other people don't have to worry about. I was severely bullied in my last job, and had reprisals enacted against me for trying to get help whereby the company broke multiple laws and put me on some kind of hit list in retaliation. I could explain further but the whole thing is designed to mirror mental illness if I were to complain, so I have had my fingers badly burned already for being a whistle blower and was already labelled as such.
I agree regarding the welfare of the residents but I have decided to look for a new job instead.
Sadly the establishment already have a reputation for this sort of thing and it isn't in isolation. It seems to be the culture.
if you have observed anything you may be called to give evidence at a disciplinary - I am a senior nurse and next month I have to give evidence to the nursing council about a mis conduct case
If anyone is rough with the clients you should report it to your line manager uimmediately - I am sure you wouldnt want your relatives treated roughly
My mum was in a home for two weeks only, after which she was sent to hospital and then died two weeks later. During her time in the home, I spotted the signs of her becoming ill again and spent a week being told they'd call the doctor to her tomorrow, then "tomorrow" came and they said she was better, but I could see she wasn't. When I told them this, it was "We'll call them tomorrow then". I put my foot down, called the GP myself, and mum was admitted to hospital. Also during the two weeks at the home, mum told me a couple of the carers were quite rough with her and ignored her requests for help going to the loo during the night. They told her "It's quite acceptable to wet the bed", which was disgusting. She was expected to lie in her own pee all night. She never wet the bed at home unless she had one of her frequent water infections, and if she did we changed her bed straight away. I reported it all to the managers and they disciplined the two involved, but I was too upset to take it to an external body.
TL;DR - please don't just move on and leave that member of staff behind to carry on doing this to the vulnerable old people. Find a new job by all means, but please put the report in before you go.
Fair enough but your responsibility doesn't end there no matter what your job history
Has the OP been severely edited down, or have you just got a really short attention span ?
The care system has such a bad name, thanks to people like your colleague, and yourself. You SHOULD NOT be in a caring position, if you cannot simply stick to what you are there to do - care for, and maintain the welfare of these people. They are people after all. People with families and friends that care for them as much as you care about your family.
Policies & procedures are there to protect these people. I presume you have taken part in a your NVQ2? Or at the very least, POVA. These outline why reporting abuse is so important, and does explain how you can do this, as well as it being CONFIDENTIAL - so your colleagues will not find out it was you. Why not write an annonnymous letter?
If you do nothing, I do not know how you can sleep at night knowing that this woman is abusing someones husband/wife/mum/dad (need I say more?).
I was not liked at the last agency I worked for, because I actually cared about my clients, and took the time to get to know them. This, in turn, got me a lot of lovely comments & letters from clients, and their families - which the other ''carers'' did not like - as I 'ruined' it for them. They were so half arsed they couldn't even be bothered to empty bins for people and just wanted to get home.
The care industry is too full of people who do it just because it is a job, and don't give a damn about looking after people in the correct way.
On that particular afternoon, I had a very short attention span!