A disciplinary hearing has been told about how care home nurse, Christina Cooper, had abused dementia sufferers at the Connaught Care Home in York.
They were told that on one occasion she even rubbed a patient's nose in his soiled sheets saying 'when dogs do this their owners rub their noses in it'. She is accused of abusing four patients in total at a disciplinary from the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
A witness explained that Ms Cooper had been abrupt with her patients and did not show care towards them. It was apparent that she did not enjoy her job nor the residents she was supposed to care for. Amy Redpath, a Care Assistant, working alongside Ms Cooper said 'she complained about the residents, complained about the workload, and complained the residents were perhaps wrongly placed.' She went on to explain that Ms Cooper was depressing and annoying to work with and she brought others down who worked with her. Redpath had worked with Ms Cooper during the time that the allegations were made in October and November 2009.
Redpath expanded on the abusive actions of Ms Cooper saying that she would barge noisily into patient's rooms and turn on the main light. She would roughly change the incontinence pads. During one such occasion, Ms Cooper is accused of having told a male patient that he was disgusting as she changed his bedding. Ms Copper is described as having scooped up residents with both her hands, having made no communication, in order to turn them onto their side so that she could change the bedding. Her actions were rough handed and often startled and shocked the residents. Redpath explained that it had been horrible to watch but she had felt powerless to do anything. Ms Cooper had already warned her and others that she would not tolerate anyone trying to make things difficult for her and warned that she would make their lives hell if anyone provoked her.
Ms Cooper is also accused of threatening to strangle a patient as she put a scarf around her neck. A further hearing due to take place over the next few days could reveal even more shocking behaviour. There already seems a large degree of evidence against her. If Ms Cooper is found to be guilty of misconduct she will likely be struck off the nursing register. Ms Cooper is, however, said to be strenuously denying all the allegations against her.