Alert and oriented man in LTC abusive to staff

Specialties Geriatric

Published

I want to know what are the staff's rights when it comes to being hit constantly by a man that is fully alert and oriented with no mental DX. He has hit, kicked and slap CNAs and nurses alike....our management response to this: nothing!!!! They won't even talk to him. We have no back up from management. This man is just plain ole mean and knows he can get away with it. No one wants to

DoeRN

941 Posts

I don't know if it's right but whenever I get in report a patient similar to this. One who abuses the staff. I go in right away and tell that patient that if you put your hands on me or abuse me in any way I will press charges. I've never been hit. If this happened any other place police would be called. I don't tolerate this behavior by anyone.

Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.

It's a felony to assault a healthcare worker. Period.

CapeCodMermaid, RN

6,090 Posts

Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

Wow,your management is asking for trouble. I would never let this go on in my facility. Inform the man's doctor, call the ombudsman, and if he doesn't stop, I'd issue him a 30 day discharge notice.

Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.
Wow,your management is asking for trouble. I would never let this go on in my facility. Inform the man's doctor, call the ombudsman, and if he doesn't stop, I'd issue him a 30 day discharge notice.

Exactly - in fact I just did this recently with a combative resident.

amoLucia

7,736 Posts

Specializes in retired LTC.

to Nascar & CapeCod - you two are very pro-staff. It's such a sad state of affairs that other admnistrations are not so suppotive of their staff as OP reports. Now of course, there may be information that she (and hence, we) are not privy to - her mgt may have tried addressing this issue without good results. But I wonder...

My only hope is that all the incidents are being documented and incidents with injury followups as nec are being conducted. This guy is a time-bomb waiting to go off.

Pt-to-staff abusiveness freq escalates to pt-to-pt abuse which we know is reportable to the State. When this occurs (and it will soon) her facility will be in trouble provided the documentation is all there. I could see a call to the State by the staff to complain.

Is he on any psychoactive meds that require documentation also? Pharmacy could then be a resource, but I doubt this approach is being used.

I do like the approach of the first poster respondent. Good luck to OP - I've been there...

Maybe there is more going on with this man than the obvious. The least the facility can do is to have him professionally evaluated.

bubblejet50

230 Posts

It's a felony to assault a healthcare worker. Period.

Exactly what I was going to say. There are other facilities more apt to take these residents and if they need to pay more or move to a worse facility they may learn thdir manners. The LTC facility I worked at had one of these and management did nothing. It sucks. If you have a witness and know there is no mental issues then you can always call the police without permission from management but dont look to them to back you up

amoLucia

7,736 Posts

Specializes in retired LTC.

Best thing is to watch how fast manglement moves when one of them gets whacked! Worthy speed records get set!

sharpeimom

2,452 Posts

Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.
Best thing is to watch how fast manglement moves when one of them gets whacked! Worthy speed records get set!

manglement?? Freudian slip maybe?!:roflmao::roflmao:

amoLucia

7,736 Posts

Specializes in retired LTC.

"Manglement" was used by another recent poster here on AN (I give due credit to that unknown donor) for its obvious intended use. No plagerism here.

I don't use it too often but it was most appropriate for this post.

Specializes in Med/surg, Quality & Risk.
Best thing is to watch how fast manglement moves when one of them gets whacked! Worthy speed records get set!

Exactly! My boss got hit one day when I wasn't there and the next day she tells me, "He's in a veil bed and will stay in a veil bed until he is discharged." Because he hit you now he's in indefinite Pack-N-Play seclusion even when he's no longer a threat, because it was YOU not someone else? Yeah, not legal toots!

+ Add a Comment