Carer guilty of attacking her patient
DEMENTIA SUFFERER WAS GRABBED AND THEN PUNCHED
Michelle Mitchell, 53, was found guilty of striking the pensioner in her care A CARER lashed out and punched an 80-year-old dementia sufferer after she lost her temper.
Michelle Mitchell assaulted the vulnerable pensioner in a corridor of Northlea Court Care Home, in Cramlington, where she was working at the time.
A colleague who witnessed the incident then saw the 53-year-old scratch her own arm and try and claim the elderly woman had grabbed and injured her, a court was told.
The co-worker reported the assault to a manager and Mitchell was immediately suspended and the matter was reported to the police.
She denied punching the elderly resident and pleaded not guilty to one charge of a care worker ill-treat/ wilfully neglecting an individual when she appeared at South East Northumberland Magistrates’ in July.
But, after a trial at the same court earlier this week, Mitchell, of Alderly Way, Cramlington was convicted of the offence.
Magistrates were told Mitchell had worked with the vulnerable victim both at Northlea and a previous care home for at least three years prior to the incident on the afternoon of March 13 this year.
James Long, prosecuting, said the elderly resident suffered from dementia and had a habit of putting items, such as cutlery, down her trousers.
When this happened, a care plan instructed that at least two care workers should take the pensioner into a private bathroom or her bedroom to remove the items in question.
But on this occasion, Mitchell had approached the woman alone in a communal corridor, Mr Long said.
The prosecutor added: “[The vic- tim] had a habit as part of her illness of putting cutlery or crockery down her trousers and this seems to be the trigger for the events that happened that day.
“[Mitchell’s colleague] saw the defendant interacting with [the victim] and her trying to retrieve the items from the trousers.
“She said she noticed the defendant had a fairly firm grip on the elderly patient’s wrist.
“She sees the defendant interacting with her and walks on past but then glances back over her shoulder at a time when, the prosecution say, the defendant didn’t expect a witness to be looking and, at that stage, the defendant punched the victim in the arm.”
The court was told the colleague confronted Mitchell and said “you were a bit rough there” but she denied using any force.
Mr Long added: “[The colleague] then witnesses the defendant scratching herself with her nails. The defendant then says that the victim has scratched her.”
The co-worker reported what she had seen to her deputy manager and Mitchell was immediately suspended pending investigation.
Describing what she saw of the assault in court, Mitchell’s colleague said: “Michelle looked annoyed, that’s what made me double-take and glance back.
“When I went to walk away, I thought ‘That’s not right’, so I looked back and saw Michelle punch [the victim] in the upper forearm.”
When asked what happened next, the co-worker added: “Michelle approached me. She was digging her own fingernail in her arm saying that [the victim] had scratched her.”
A GP was called to check on the elderly resident but no markings or bruising were found, the court heard.
Mitchell denied punching the victim and claimed her colleague had been “tired” and mistaken in what she saw.
She told the court she hadn’t used any force with the victim and
had only moved her arm as she was digging her finger nails into her.
After finding her guilty, magistrates adjourned sentencing until next week.
A spokesman for Four Season Health Care, who own 48-bed Northlea, said: “When a member of our care staff reported concerns about the conduct of Michelle Mitchell towards a resident, she was suspended from duties in the home.
“A GP examined the resident but could see no marks on her skin or other indication that she had been hurt.
“The home manager notified the Adult Safeguarding Team and the police and the home actively assisted the investigation leading to today’s court hearing.
“Michelle Mitchell is not working in the home.
“We have a whistle blowing policy that actively encourages residents, their relatives and our staff to notify us of any concerns they have about any aspect of care or conduct and we are grateful to our colleague for their vigilance.
“The overwhelming majority of nurses and carers do a difficult job extraordinarily well, day after day to make life better for the people living in care homes.
“It is deeply disappointing and upsetting when we come across the exceptions who let down their colleagues and the people in their care.”