possible angel of mercy?

[renly88]

I work in ltc so a patients passing is not abnormal. However we have a new social worker at the facility. One night, I was not working, one of our skilled patients passed. It really came out of no where and was a shock to all of us. The social worker spoke to me in private a day after her passing and said "it's kind of odd" and stated things like she tried to talk to the patients family about the patients depression issues and the family said they don't want to treat her depression and that they want to take her home where she can die peacefully. The social worker went on to say "I think she had help". As in the patient had help in dying suddenly the way she did. The social worker implied that she thinks the family either brought a med in and gave it to her, or were helping the patient pocket her narcotics and then instructed her to take them. The social worker then went on to say when she spoke to the patient alone a few days before her passing, she asked her what was making her depressed. And the patient pointed to her narcotic schedule on the white board. The patient always asked for her prn narcotics and was never against using them. So what do you guys think? Should I be reporting this or what? I don't want to start something out of nothing as this was just a 5 min conversation between me and the social worker. Maybe I'm thinking to much into it?

[duskyjewel]

This is all so nebulous. Right now all you have is a social worker's opinion and nothing to back it up.

If it really was a totally unexpected death, it will be investigated. If the social worker feels strongly enough about her suspicions, she'll speak up. I don't think you should repeat hearsay though, and that's all it is.

Stuff happens sometimes. And we don't always know why.

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

I think you might consider encouraging the social worker to talk to the administration or whoever about it, rather than you doing it. If you report it, it's just hearsay.

Also, consider what might happen if you report it. If the family was involved, and just wanted to ease her pain, even to the extreme, do you think they would deserve the legal ramifications that would land on them?

I wonder if her pain was under control, even if she was actually getting all her meds. She was pointing to the board, which makes me think pain was a definite problem...

[Luckyyou, BSN, RN]

That's a very serious accusation to make without any sort of proof. I would tread carefully if you plan on bringing it up to anyone.

[amoLucia]

I believe in some states, social workers also have licenses like an LCSW. Would this not make them 'mandated reporters' also??? The burden of reporting suspicious activity as you believe has been intimated would then fall upon the SW for primary reporting.

I'm just asking.

[tyvin, BSN, RN]

I think you got too much time on your hands. Social workers "of course" are mandated reporters, but what are we reporting? It sounds like both of you like to gossip.

Come on, if it was really something you felt worthy of, you would have charted the conversation in patient's chart as well as the social worker in their notes. Seriously, how many days have passed now, is the person buried, no chance for an autopsy, etc... I could go on and on and on. I think you need to focus on the patients/residents who are still alive.

[suanna]

The social worker may feel she has fulfilled her "mandatory reporting" by telling you. I would share this conversation with your NM ASAP- It is for someone higher in the chain of command to decide what the next step is. Imagine a distant cousin overhears the family talking about "helping granny out of her misery" at the next reunion. They report it to law enforcement who investigate it as a manslaughter. You can bet, if that social worker is asked about anything suspicious- she is going to say -"why yes- that's why I told the RN I was concerned". I shudder to think where that leads next.