A cruel carer accused of telling a Scots nursing home resident “I cannot wait until you’re dead” has kept her job.
Lynn McTaggart was reported to a watchdog for verbally abusing a vulnerable pensioner at an unnamed care home in Coldstream in the Scottish Borders, telling her: “No wonder your son put you in here, you’re awful.”
But the senior care assistant avoided being struck off by the The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and was instead issued with a warning which will stay on her registration for four years.
The SSSC said McTaggart made a string of hurtful comments towards the resident in front of a colleague on November 2 last year, calling her “vile” and “horrible” and stating: “I will not shed a tear when you die.”
The watchdog found that the carer’s fitness to practise was impaired because of her misconduct but said it was an “isolated incident”.
It said her employer, who she is no longer working for, had provided a positive reference confirming she was “knowledgeable, conscientious and caring”.
In a report, the SSSC said: “Speaking to a resident, in your care, in such a derogatory manner is inappropriate, insensitive, and disrespectful.
“Your behaviour had the potential to cause emotional harm. Such behaviour falls below the standard expected from social services workers.
“Your behaviour was targeted towards a vulnerable resident who was entitled to place her trust in you to look after her and act in her best interests.”
“Your behaviour was serious and below the standards expected of a member of the caring profession.
“Although you returned to work and did not repeat this behaviour, this was for a relatively short period before your employment ended.
“There are not sufficient assurances that your behaviour would not be repeated.”
The report said McTaggart had accepted the warning on her registration after engaging with the disciplinary process and completing “dignity and respect training”.
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