Reader Question:
Don't Look The Other Way On Sexual Harassment From Patients, Families
Published on Fri Feb 12, 2010
Recent lawsuit, shooting show why this touchy issue should be a priority. Question: At the home health agency where I work, one of our employees has started complaining about a patient she sees weekly in his home, alleging that he is saying inappropriate things and attempting to touch her in a way that makes her uncomfortable. He is old and frail, and she says she feels bad for him, too. We don't want to lose him as a patient, but we are concerned because our worker is making a fuss, and other employees want to know what's going on. What should our agency do? Answer: Sexual harassment is a serious issue, and your HHA has a legal obligation to protect your employees from it. Last September, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Nurse One/ Team One, a McMinnville, Tenn.-based provi-der of home care services, alleging that the company violated [...]