Sex offenders

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

How many of you do sex offender registry checks before you admit someone? The local news has a big story tonight about "level 3 sex offenders in the same place as your grandmother!!" We used to do checks and if the person is on the younger side we still do....and if they show up on the registry, we won't take 'em.

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Sounds like a good idea, but even more important to look closely into the background of the workers, judging from a lot of media publicity over the years. A CNA I once worked with recently got a nice sentence in the state pen for his underage girl preference. He was like that when I knew him. I guess the management, who knew about him, thought he wouldn't bother the LOL.

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You cannot refuse to admit someone to a hospital because they are convicted of a crime. They still have the right to access healthcare services.

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Specializes in Correctional, QA, Geriatrics.
You cannot refuse to admit someone to a hospital because they are convicted of a crime. They still have the right to access healthcare services.

The OP was not referring to an acute care hospital but rather a long term care residential facility. The ratio of staff to patients is considerably higher than in a hospital and the opportunities for patient to patient inappropriate behaviors is considerably higher.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

They may have the right to hospital care but I do NOT have to admit them to my long term care facility if I believe they pose a risk to the other residents.

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Specializes in LTC.

The op is correct. If a resident poses a risk to others then they won't get admitted.

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Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.

No, we do not do this at all. Bad idea in my opinion and sure to bite us in the butt one day. The powers above me do not believe this is necessary.

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Specializes in Gerontology, nursing education.

I guess I am not as worried about persons on the sex offender registries as I am about those who have not been caught.

Good question, though, about the appropriateness of the placement of registered sex offenders in LTC. Yes, they do deserve access to care, regardless of what they've done, but is it appropriate for them to be housed in facilities with vulnerable adults?

In Minnesota last year, a former pro wrestler with Alzheimer's assaulted and killed his roommate during an argument. He apparently reverted to an old, learned pattern of behavior and reacted as if his roommate was an opponent in the ring. Essentially, he body-slammed the man to death. My point is, would someone who has committed sex crimes in the past also revert to previous behavior, particularly if he/she had cognitive impairment issues?

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Specializes in ED, CTSurg, IVTeam, Oncology.

Well, coming from a hospital that has a black list (do not admit under ANY circumstance) I can't say that we won't do something like that. From what I understand, the black list contains names of patients who, in the past, has been documented to have sexually assaulted either staff or other patients on a previous admission to the psychiatric unit. These people can come into the hospital saying that they are actively suicidal and I've seen the psychiatrist throw them out. The exchange between patient and psychiatry:

Patient: "If I walk out this door, I'm going to kill myself..."

Doctor: "You're not getting admitted. Good bye."

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

I would want to know why they're a sex offender. You would be surprised at what can land you on a list: a 19-year-old having sex with a 17-year old, public urination, being caught having consensual homosexual sex in your car, even shoplifting from an adult toy store.

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Specializes in ED, OR, SAF, Corrections.
I would want to know why they're a sex offender. You would be surprised at what can land you on a list: a 19-year-old having sex with a 17-year old, public urination, being caught having consensual homosexual sex in your car, even shoplifting from an adult toy store.

Good point, especially now that there are some teenagers who now are considered 'sex offenders' because of 'sexting' with other kids their own age. We've gone to extremes by lumping teenagers guilty mostly of lapses in judgement with true predators.

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Specializes in Neuroscience/Neuro-surgery/Med-Surgical/.

Here is an example of what happens when sex offenders are admitted to a nursing home. Makes me shudder....:(

http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/ct-met-nursing-home-rape-20100126,0,7127371.story

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