Stop #@$%!* Thief!!!

[VivaLasViejas]

This is one of the big headaches they never tell you about when you become a manager in a healthcare facility--what to do when residents' money and valuables go missing, and you come to the realization that SOMEONE on your staff is a lying sack of garbage.

Every workplace has its marginal employees, the workers who live on the edge both financially and morally, as well as those who work their 8 hours as if they were flipping burgers instead of taking care of human beings. Fortunately, my assisted living facility has been blessed with an unusually large majority of long-termers---caregivers who have been with us for two, three, even four years---and each member of that core staff is a loving, caring, compassionate person who loves our residents as though they were family.

So now we have a real-life mystery on our hands: Over the past couple of months, we've had a rash of thefts---mostly of cash, but also some jewelry. Even more alarming, it's escalating---one resident has had her checkbook plus $100 in cash taken in the past week, another is missing his wallet and the $140 he had in bills, and still two more had between thirty and fifty dollars missing from their purses earlier this week. What REALLY chaps my hide is the fact that the only people being robbed are those with moderate to severe memory loss: in other words, someone is taking advantage of them BECAUSE they could conceivably lose a wad of money between the front door and the bathroom without being aware of it, and have indeed done so on more than one occasion.:angryfire :angryfire :angryfire

My boss and I have a couple of suspects in mind. Of course, now that we have to involve the police, all of us are going to be considered suspects, but I'm too outraged to care---I just want it to STOP. I cannot stand people who victimize those that can't take care of themselves, and it kills my soul to think that someone I know and I work with---maybe someone I myself hired---could do such a thing.

This is one of those situations no one ever teaches you how to deal with, and it didn't help that my own spouse was one of the first people the residents wanted to blame (he's the maintenance man/housekeeper) when all this started. I think they know better now---the man wouldn't pocket a penny that didn't belong to him---but then, who IS the guilty party?? My trust is gone, I'm suspicious of everyone..........I hate looking around at my staff and wondering which of them could possibly be rotten enough to steal from dementia patients.

Thanks for letting me rant. I'm just confused and angry, and I'm ready to line everybody up and use some good old-fashioned parenting tricks to force the miscreant to 'fess up so I can FIRE their thievin' butt.:trout:

[firstyearstudent]

If management can't be convinced to call the police, perhaps someone should suggest to one of the more lucid residents that he or she call...

[destiny5]

A former coworker had several hundred dollars stolen from her purse while it was under the desk in the old hospital. The nurses' desk was out in the hallway, shared with the x-ray people. An ambulance brought a pt in and when the crew was gone my friend realized money was missing. There was a video camera trained on the area and the paramedic was caught on film going through her purse. Nothing was done. The medic lost his job but was not made to pay the money back, and his excuse was that because he was going to PA school and had a lot of bills, he just "lost his mind". He finished school and is now working as a PA. No repercussions. My friend was talked out of pressing charges by the nurse manager at the time.

Before I let anyone talk me out of pressing charges--they'd better be replacing my money!!!!!!! :angryfire :angryfire

[destiny5]

It really saddens me that this has happened. It fosters a climate of mistrust among staff and between staff and residents. I pray that the situation is resolved sooon. Sometimes the thief ends up being the last person you'd ever suspect so pleez have proooof before anyone is accused or fired.---Also, to throw people off their trail, the guilty can plant evidence on the innocent...maybe I watch too much CSI

[JessicRN]

Heck in our facility you cannot put anything down without losing it we have had nurses who have had there coatt stolen from the staff room (only a code card will open the door) I once left a bag of my paraphenia (ie scissors,tape,ACLS cards,pens etc you know the stuff you empty form your pockets or keeep just in case.) in the staff room as I have no locker) and it disappeared. Anything thing left over night is fair game as far as our facility is concerned it does not matter how expensive it is. Apparently the theft has been long standing. The only time they will act is if it the patient complains then they usually reimburse them.

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

MJL -- I sure admire your persistence and your dedication to getting to the bottom of this. Administration and negative publicity be damned, indeed! You go, girl! Your patients are lucky to have you. Best of luck in finding the culprit(s)!

[banana]Big Fat DITTO[/banana]

That really bites, Marla. I hate this for ALL of you.

Negative publicity is not always a bad thing...the fact that you are involving the police shows that you are addressing the problem and that in turn, shows the public that you are WANTING to get to the bottom of this, and willing to resolve it resposnsibly.

You go. :kiss

[sarahbellum]

We had an administator's son working on our floor, we were pretty sure he was the thief. So I marked every bill in my wallet and the dummy took the bait.

When my money came up missing, I called security and gave them the serial #'s and which bills were marked.

There was no way to weasel out of this one. I hate thieves. :trout:

They transferred him and he was fired within a month.

Weird side note, I had a red glitter wallet at the time (red is my favorite color) 10 years later I bought another red wallet-it was also stolen at work! Not to be superstitious.....now I have a black wallet

[Valanda]

Years ago I worked at a nursing home where money kept being stolen. They caught the thief by placing money where it was good bait, but they put something on the bills that only showed up under ultraviolet light. When the cash disappeared, they ran around with the light checking hands. I'm sorry I don't know what this stuff was called. This was back in 1990, so it's not a new product. Suspect caught, police called, suspect arrested. Granted, this was before the days of gloves and rigorous hand-washing, but if they are theiving, maybe they aren't so good at following other rules as well.

[Valanda]

I went and looked the stuff up. It's called...

Ultraviolet Thief Detection Powder

This Thief Detection Powder is invisible to the naked eye. It allows you to mark an item without anybody knowing. Once the powder is touched it remains on fingers and hands for several days and can only be seen by ultraviolet light.

[dream'n, BSN, RN]

How very, very sad. Stealing is bad enough, but to steal from patients, how horrible! They trust us so much, especially the vulnerable folks in LTC. The LTC is their home, they have so little as it is and they trust us for so many things. They take the pills we give them, they eat they food we bring them, all because they trust that we will not harm them. What a low-life creep this thief is. He/she is praying on the most helpless. On a side note, my daughter's bike was once stolen, and I was ready to tar and feather the idiot that took it, and that was after I calmed down! I hope that you catch the creep, but most of all, I hope this person grows to realize what a horrible thing they have been doing. By the way, it may be the one person you least expect. I once worked with a nurse that everyone thought the world of. She was incredibly knowledgable and had a gift with the patients. Eventually she was caught diverting narcotics. Total shock!

[Geordi486]

I recently found myself with a day off from work because I "Crossed professional and personal boundaries". I had reported directly to the police after a pt had something stolen, possibly by a team member and I reported this to my supervisor. At the time I felt legally bound, because it felt like they where not doing anything about it. I can not stand dishonesty and this theft really got under my skin. I felt I had to report to the police. Turns out I may have done more harm then good as they where trying to keep it on the down low and had in fact had the suspected person under surveillance . The worst part is I engaged in gossip with other nurses about who it might have been. I was not sure it was this person, and still after talking to police and viewing video was not 100% positive. My supervisor told me once I reported to the her my legal responsibility was over. It didn't feel that way at the time. I did not do it because she was my friend as they implied but because something had to be done. I'm still conflicted and as I feel I did the right thing, and knew I would possibly even be fired for it. So now I have to leave it behind and pretend I don't give patoot and shut my mouth. I feel like a fool.

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

I had a job where coats and purses were kept in a supply closet near the nurses' station. One day, money was stolen from an LNA's purse. I've also had lunches stolen.

At my old job, one of my residents had been a sculptor before dementia struck. She still had her supplies, and her room was full of her work, either photos or sculptures. Someone stole a few small pieces of art. They were originals, and irreplaceable.