I have been accused of abuse. What do I do?

Does it have to be abuse? Maybe he fell. My husband bruises so easily we don't even know what they are from. I grabbed his arm to keep him from falling, and he had a huge bruise there. The doctor explained that there is very little fat under his skin which makes the bruising easily created. My mother died at 94 and her skin was the same way. I see it on a lot of older people.

chris, the job requires that you report the bruises anything out of normal. the bruises can be from other things but that is not the point is that you have to report them to protect yourself and the patient. what does the cna's report say when she left? did she mention the bruises? were photos of the bruises taken and examined? did you call his doctor? some people are not meant for certain jobs reporting incidents are a part of yours. I think the other can should explain also. as the nursing home. other staff members must have seen this man during that time period they should have to explain also if not you have a problem

Retain a lawyer as you may need one if they're going to falsely accuse you.

thank you everyone for your thoughts I did learn the previous aides dropped him muti times so I assumed the bruises where from him falling so I thought nothing of it. I'm sad I lost a good job over my stupidity of not reporting. I deff learned an important lesson here always report.

older people's skin get thin and does bruise easily. my father in NH sometimes will have a protective cloth over them so that when they move him, or whatever his skin doesn't tear. my father had a shin injury about 40 years ago and the skin is darker red in color and thin and has already broken open when he was at home. and if this is in the mans own home and no cameras, the only thing would be to have a doctor come out and check this patient out and he should be able to determine if those bruises were recently caused within the 2 day stay you were there and should help your case. however, you have learned a hard lesson, report anything even if you think someone else already has. And maybe they (your bosses) were just testing you to see if you would report something and you didn't. this way they know whether their workers are honest and forthcoming even if they have been told 10 times that this man had bruises. good luck.

You can still make an Abuse Report with the protective agency. Report what you told us here--you went on a two day assignment and observed bruises. Your are not accusing anyone--you are making a required report. That way the agency will investigate everyone involved (which they will likely do anyway), and you will have made the required report, albeit not very timely.

Agree with Jinx. The CNAs can be put in an awful situation: darned if you do and darned if you don't, especially when the patient may have some form of dementia and make unfounded accusations.

Jeez, everybody jump on chriskiss when she's down! No need to accuse her of lying! I hope it works out well for you. No need to ask if you've learned something from this.

The other day when I visited my mother, she has stitches above her eye. They said she got out of bed and fell, which she well may have. She has an alarm, but they didn't get to her in time. Let's face it, they are at the mercy of the staff. Anyway, he could have gotten those bruises the same way, just fell, so why would they say you did it?

My Mom has CNAs 13 hours a day, 7 days a week. She (and I, too) have the bleeding under the skin problem mentioned by JessieBelle. The CNAs always report even minor bruises to the nurse supervisor, and I'll get a phone call. Mom usually doesn't remember falling or bumping, and from my experience, even a slight bump (or firm grip from someone elses' hand) can cause a skin bleed. During my periodic visits to Mom (when she only needs CNAs 3 hours a day), I always report any bruises I've noted to the CNA so they'll know when they bathe and dress her what had caused it, since she has a history of falls and broken bones.

All licensed professionals are mandated reporters and are required to report their observations. It is not your job to analyze the root cause of the bruises, however your input will be included in the report. It is your job to report your findings including the exact time that you observed the bruises. This will help the professionals determine the root cause. There are many explanations, that will be reviewed, including reviewing the medications that the patient is taking. It is the professional's job to protect this elder, since in this case he can not speak for himself. It is imperative that the bruises are reported immediately, and that this incident is investigated, objectively, before pointing fingers. If there is any doubt regarding cause, all suspected staff involved in this mans care, should be removed, temporarily, until a decision is made. I agree that cameras in some situations, can be protective for all parties involved. You know the truth, if you did not do this- hold on to the truth, and present the facts as you know them.

Chris, what a bad start to a new career. Is this your first job? That is the problem with temporary/fill in work; there are a number of ways for communication to break down. "Fill-in" is the operative word - you were probably not working with a lot of information about/history of the patient. In your situation it is the assumption that the evidence of bruising had been documented and dealt with by the regular staff assigned to the patient, especially given the length of time that you judge the bruise was there (I assume because of the colour of it). The staff, on the other hand, are jumping to the conclusion that you abused the patient because a) they did not notice it and b) you did not report it which in their mind is evidence of guilt. By law we know we are supposed to report evidence of abuse. It appears in your case that there was some doubt as to what constituted abuse. The fact that you noticed the bruising (and the regular staff say they didn't) would indicate that on some subconscious level you were tuned in to the fact that something wasn't right. However, it was subtle enough to create some doubt in you. Had it been fresh injury or the patient appeared traumatized, that would almost be an easier situation to deal with in terms of protocol. In any new job there is a learning curve, but as previously mentioned by the experienced nurse (sorry I'm severely challenged when it comes to memory for names), in this profession you are assumed guilty until proven innocent, and you need to cover yourself by crossing the t's and dotting the i's.

I can certainly understand the very real fear you have now with respect to the legal position you are in with its accusation of criminal intent. It is shaming and humiliating. However, that's why the criminal justice system exists. You have rights, too. You know in your heart that there was no malicious intent on your part, and a defence lawyer is there to defend you and clear your name. The one hopefully positive thing that will come out of this is that they investigate and find the person who did abuse the patient. Stay strong, keep your head high; it's a sickening situation to be in but you have to believe in yourself and use the experience to direct your actions in the future, whatever career you may find yourself in.

I know nothing of situations like these but sometimes when people accuse you of something, they are the ones to blame for something. My first thought was that woman abused the man and saw an opportunity to blame it on you.
I am sad to see you going through this. I hope this situation turns out alright for you and for the old man.

Old skin bruises so easily. Even a small blow can get a big bruise. This made me wonder how they figured it was abuse. Sometime my mother can hit her arm on a door and a big bruise will appear that makes her look like someone did something terrible to her. It isn't really a bruise, but an ecchymosis (skin bleed). Was the man's bruise more serious than that?

Well, number ONE, You are a mandatory reporter. In your business, it is the law that you report any suspicious behavior or abuse. What proof does the regular aid have that you did this? Boy, I would fight this. It is your income. You might want to hire an attorney, if you can afford to. Or go to Legal Aid.

They bruise very easily. What meds is he taking? Cumadin and aspirin are notorious for causing bruising, an big ones as you describe. I have seen black eyes develop as a result of rubbing the eye too hard. You need to be very gentle with the elderly as they bruise very easily.

Since I was/am a nurse, all I can tell you is if you are going to be responsible for ANYONE, make sure you document EVERYTHING that occurs which would put you in jeopardy. Going into a nursing profession opens you up to all kinds of legal problems if you cannot prove your innocence. In medical situations, you are guilty until you can prove you are not (just the opposite of normal situations). Do not take this job lightly or you will find yourself in either legal limbo, or fired and have a bad reputation which will prevent another job in this profession. Learn all you can about what you can and cannot do, and again, document all events. In law, ignorance is no excuse.

I assume you're saying they looked a year old is a typo. Bruises aren't a year old. I'm on one aspirin a day. Relatively healthy in the big picture. Because of that aspirin, if I knock my hand on the doorknob, for instance, I've got blood leaking immediately, and a bruise in ten minutes. The older someone is, the thinner the skin...the closer to the surface are their blood vessels, and the easier they bruise.

Had you simply noted the bruises, you wouldn't be in this situation. That was your mistake. And that is the way I would respond in the investigation.

Read Angelkw's answer ten times. If you dodge this bullet, you won't be given another chance.

It was not made clear that the patient was in a nursing home. We need to stop giving all nursing home the bum deal. There are many nursing homes that offer excellent care. I thank God for the one my friend's mother is in. My friend is an elderly woman with her own health issues. She needs the help and peace of mind that this nursing home has given. Yes, I'm glad that people are telling Chris what is the obvious, if the bruises are older than two days, he should be clear of all allegations. Chris, from what I have read, you seem like an naive person. In these times this is not good quality. Learn your profession like the back of your hand.

Can't that bruise be there for other reasons too ? Perhaps moving him around to change him. I hope that's all it was, poor man. That family doesn't have camera's ? I certainly do, and I can view mom from anywhere. Just be patient, if it really wasn't you, they'll find out how old the bruises are in their investigation and you'll be cleared.

It sounds to me like someone else is probably abusing patients. What I would do in your situation is to speak specifically to the head department of nursing of that nursing home and explain what you just described here. If you tell them that you saw old bruises and that you thought the staff knew about it, and you can explain the fact that you're only there for two days and there's no way you could've caused bruises that were very old. Someone is obviously abusing this particular patient whether it be staff or family. Now you know why so many elders fight against being put into nursing homes, and this is only part of the reason why many don't want to go (and I don't blame them).

Are they investigating the other CNAs. Can't they tell by looking at the bruises how old they are? If you were only there for two days as you stated, then the bruises should have been made earlier. It is bittersweet that you see there are people who will do bodily harm to others. The bitter part is that it happens. The sweet part is your innocence in believing that there aren't bad people in the health care industry. May God give you security clearance..

I know it was my fault for not reporting but i was new and i just can't believe they are accusing me of the crime. I lost a good job with a good company i learned my lesson now. I just hope they don't find me guilty over something i didn't due.

Chris, I think you are missing the point. I'm not a CNA, but like you, im a mandated reporter. When you see bruises, you report them to your superior. It's not your job to make a determination; it's your job to notice, make note and report facts. "99 y/o male has 3 cm bruise on thigh. Source unknown" or however you were trained to report these things in writing to your agency.

I am a CNA of CT and i never got put in this situation before i didn't really expect abuse the man was 99 so i just figured he Been through alot. And thanks for everyone help.

Have you explained to your boss, in a calm and professional manner, what you told us? Admitted your lapse in judgement? If not, I hope you do so soon. Face to face, no email.

All you can do now is defend yourself. It might be wise to consult an attorney but whatever you do, whomever you speak with, make sure that you are honest, forthcoming about what you should have done, and professional. You made a mistake and all you can do now is try to fix it. I wish you luck, honey.

Never assume. Retain a lawyer. Go back and read your course books.

Angel is right, CNA's are taught, and it is on the exam for the license. No way are you a CNA, in any state.

As a licensed caregiver, you were taught, during your licensing, that you are a mandatory reporter. That means that you were obliged to report these bruises. This was part of your licencing preparation and testing. You therefore WERE provided with this information. New or not, you are licensed, and with that comes the responsibility to report abuse. Either you are lying about being licensed, or you are lying about the abuse. I would say you are in a very tough position and I recommend that you get a good lawyer.