Ayr carer who told resident their breath was ‘rotten’ given warning
A CARER who told a service-user their breath ‘was rotten’ then later failed to give another resident help was let off with a warning.
Cora Heathcote, who denied the allegations while she was employed as a care assistant at Creggan Bahn Court, Ayr, will have a warning on her registration for the next two years after the national care watchdog found her fitness to practice impaired.
The Scottish Social Services Council [SSSC] found Heathcoate stated “your breath is f***ing rotten” or words to that effect to one resident on an unknown date from September 1 and October 31 2020,
She later failed to provide care to a second resident on or around July 23 2020 failing to wash the service user or brush their teeth.
She was found to have responded to a third resident “aye course I am” or words to that effect, when told she was hurting her by leaning on her wheelchair.
The Scottish Social Service said: “Social services workers are expected to treat residents, who they are entrusted to care for, with dignity and respect, not to place them at a risk of harm and to communicate with them in an appropriate and straightforward way.
“Your behaviour, particularly your behaviour at allegation 1, was serious. What you said to AA was unprofessional, abusive and could have caused her to suffer emotional harm.
“Your behaviour at allegation 3 amounts to a failure to respond appropriately when a resident told you that you were hurting them. You did not react professionally and you do not appear to have taken the resident’s complaint seriously.
“You are no longer employed in the same care home. Your current employer has advised that you are doing well in your role and they have no concerns.”