A Kirkcaldy carer has been given a warning after telling a dementia patient she would get more visitors if she smiled more often.
Evelyn McGregor was handed a 12-month warning following a series of incidents in June 2022.
McGregor, while working for Oran Homecare Ltd, also put trousers that were too small on another dementia patient and had a foul-mouthed rant to her colleagues.
Oran Homecare confirmed to The Courier that McGregor no longer works at the firm following the incidents.
Kirkcaldy carer called colleagues ‘f****** useless’
According to the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), the incidents happened between June 2 and 8, 2022.
She told one service user with dementia: “I don’t know why you’re crying, you should be over it.”
And she told the same service user: “Maybe if you smiled more often, more people would come to visit you.”
After the same person complained about noise, the carer said in an aggressive tone: “If you don’t want to hear the birds you should not have any trees.”
While caring for another user with dementia, she put trousers on him which were too small and failed to assist him in putting in his false teeth.
She also left a tablet stuck in his lip for an unknown period of time.
At his home, she said to a colleague on the phone: “I will just have to f****** help myself as yous in the office are f****** useless. I am on my own again.”
She added: “I should just go f****** home. Why am I here anyway?”
A report from the watchdog added: “You have made inconsiderate comments to two vulnerable service users and failed to provide an acceptable level of care to another.
Kirkcaldy carer ‘placed service users at risk of harm’
“You have also made inappropriate comments to a colleague in the presence of a service user.”
The report also said she “placed service users at risk of harm” and the behaviour was “an abuse of power and trust”.
The SSSC says McGregor did not contribute to the investigation and “there is no evidence” of insight or apology.
However, it was stated she had not come to the attention of the SSSC before and the behaviour happened in a short space of time.
Her warning came into effect on Friday.
We told last week how a carer in Dundee was sacked after calling a dementia patient a “miserable c***”.
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