Literature Review

Personal conflicts, even violence, are not uncommon in long-term care The New York Times; by Paula Span; 6/9/24... In long-term care facilities, residents sometimes yell at or threaten one other, lob insults, invade fellow residents’ personal or living space, rummage through others’ possessions and take them. They can swat or kick or push. Or worse. Eilon Caspi, a gerontologist at the University of Connecticut, has searched news coverage and coroners’ reports and identified 105 resident deaths in long-term care facilities over 30 years that resulted from incidents involving other residents. The actual number is higher, he said, because such deaths don’t always receive news media attention or are not reported in detail to the authorities. “We have this extraordinary paradox: the institutions, nursing homes and assisted livings who care for the most vulnerable members of our society are some of the most violent in our society,” said Karl Pillemer, a Cornell University gerontologist who has studied resident-to-resident conflict for years. [Click on the article's title for more. Might require subscription to access the full article.]

OKC woman charged after allegedly facilitating mother's suicide: 'Do with it what you will'The Oklahoman; by Josh Dulaney; 6/6/24A woman facing murder charges is accused of giving a firearm to her mother who then shot herself to death. In Oklahoma County District Court this week, Jaye Dee Watts, 44, was charged with first-degree murder in the commission of a crime, second-degree murder, kidnapping and aiding suicide by furnishing a weapon. Court documents reveal the shocking allegations. About 7:13 p.m. on Sept. 10 ... Oklahoma City police responded to a call about an attempted suicide involving a firearm. The caller was a hospice employee who said she had received a phone call from Watts, the victim’s daughter. According to an affidavit that was part of an arrest warrant filed by a homicide detective, Watts told the hospice employee that her mother, 72, shot herself. The hospice employee called 911 after speaking with Watts, and responding officers found Watts’ mother dead inside the home. Editor's Note: The descriptions are graphic. This is not an example of "Medical Aid in Dying" for the purpose of ending suffering, but rather an example of elder abuse paired with workplace violence.

Wide-ranging health care bill gets final approval from CT House CT Mirror - Connecticut's Nonprofit Journalism; by Jenna Carlesso; 5/6/24The House gave final passage Monday to a wide-ranging health care bill that would add protections for home care workers, boost preparedness for cyberattacks at medical facilities and establish new regulations for the state’s health information exchange, among other reforms. ... The sections on additional protections for home care workers were prompted by the murder of visiting nurse Joyce Grayson, who was killed in October while working at a halfway house in Willimantic. ... The bill requires home health aide agencies to collect certain client information upon intake and make it available to any employee assigned to the client. Information includes a history of violence against health care workers, domestic abuse, substance use, psychiatric history, any listing on a sex offender registry, the crime rate of the municipality the person lives in, and whether there are any weapons or safety hazards in the home. [Click on the title's link for more important information about this bill's safety measures.]

Understanding the scope of aggressive incidents in hospitals | Safer Hospitals Chief Healthcare Executive; by Ron Southwick; 4/26/24 Researchers found healthcare workers are facing a verbal or physical incident at least once for every 40 hours worked. Joanne De Santo lennaco of Yale University talks about protecting staff. Even with more attention being placed on violence in hospitals and health systems, healthcare leaders say many incidents don’t come to light. ... Much attention has been focused on incidents involving healthcare workers that have resulted in physical injuries, but she says that fails to capture the hostility healthcare workers routinely encounter, she says.

Connecticut home care safety bill would create administrative burdens, hospices sayMcKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 4/19/24 Some hospices are fighting to be carved out of a Connecticut state bill that would impose stricter safety policies for home-based healthcare providers. The legislation’s burdensome administrative requirements could affect patient care, they argue. ...  The bill’s introduction comes only months after a visiting nurse was killed on the job while providing care through a Connecticut home care agency. ... By the time a hospice could produce background checks and safety reports for a client, it may be too late to provide effective treatment, according to Barbara Pearce, chief executive officer of Connecticut Hospice.Editor's Note: For more information, see the articles we posted on 

Vermont bill would address violence against home health workers CBS TV 3 WCAX, by Laura Ullman; 4/3/24 The increase in violence against health care workers in recent years is also happening behind closed doors. Vermont’s hospice and home health care workers say they’re facing sexual violence, threats, and assault. Now, Vermont lawmakers are considering a bill to provide further protections. “Home health nurses go into homes, unknown homes, by themselves all the time. So, we really need to be able to protect them,” said Jill Mazza Olson with the Vermont Visiting Nurse Association.

Workplace Violence Prevention Plan Implementation: Answers to Frequently Asked QuestionsLCW, California Public Agency Labor & Employment Bolg; 3/13/24With the enactment of [California] Senate Bill (“SB”) 553, the legislature amended Labor Code section 6401.7 and added Labor Code section 6401.9, requiring employers to adopt and implement a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (“WVPP”) and corresponding training for their employees by July 1, 2024. ... Since the enactment of the bill, employers have had questions regarding the WVPP and the training requirements. Below are some common questions and the responses to them: ... [Click on the article's title to view]

Vanderbilt latest system to adopt patient code of conductBecker's Hospital Review, by Ashleigh Hollowell, 2/16/24Nashville, TN-based Vanderbilt University Medical Center is the latest system to adopt a patient code of conduct amid a national increase of violence against healthcare workers, the system announced Feb. 16. According to a Feb. 5 report from National Nurses United, 81.6% of nurses reported that they have experienced workplace violence, with half also noting they have seen instances of violence increase in the last year.Editor's Note: Applying this hospice inpatient units and residential facilities, ask your staff. Examine data from Incident Reports. Yes, incidents from family members and friends can easily erupt of escalated conflicts and potential violence. What Policies and Procedures, safety trainings, security measures, and emergency resources do you have in place? When did you last assess new gaps? Does Vanderbilt's system offer insights for your hospice?

Cleveland Clinic confiscated 30K weapons last yearBecker's Hospital Review, by Alexis Kayse; 1/24/24In 2023, Cleveland Clinic saw a record 14 million patients — and took 30,000 weapons from those patients and their visitors. Tomislav Mihaljevic, MD, president, CEO and Morton L. Mandel CEO Chair of Cleveland Clinic, delivered the statistic during the system's annual "State of the Clinic" address Jan. 24. ... Cleveland Clinic, which employs 81,000 people across 300 global locations, was designed to be an "optimal work environment," Dr. Mihaljevic said: engaging, rewarding, inclusive and safe. But workers' safety was threatened thousands of times last year, with caregivers reporting 3,800 incidents of physical and verbal violence. 

Man 'accidentally' fires gun in Iowa hospital: policeBecker's Clinical Leadership, by Mackenzie Bean (Twitter); 1/2/24 Police are investigating an incident in which a gun was discharged at MercyOne Waterloo (Iowa) Medical Center Dec. 29, according to NBC affiliate WHO 13 News. Authorities found damage from a single gunshot in a restroom after responding to a report of a gun being fired at the hospital around 9:40 a.m. CST. No injuries were reported.