A certified nursing assistant lost her job at a nursing home for slapping an 81-year-old patient in the face. The Florida Department of Health has suspended the aide from her certification. The incident occurred while the aide was feeding the patient who was “suffering from physical limitations, organic brain damage, dementia with behavioral disturbances, major depression, Parkinson's disease, hypertension, and lack of capacity to consent.”
After the patient spit her food out, another staff member witnessed the aide strike her on the mouth, leaving redness under her lip.
The Department of Health's report said that slapping a suffering elderly person “indicates that [the aide] lacks the judgment or moral character, patience, and compassion necessary to practice as a nursing assistant in a manner that is safe for patients. [The aide's] disregard for the laws and rules, governing the practice of nursing assistance shows that her continued practice as a nursing assistant presents an immediate, serious danger to the health, welfare, and safety of the public.” For more, N.
