A care home worker has been struck off for repeatedly hitting and shouting at an elderly resident, while telling colleagues: “Can you believe her son was complaining about how we treat her?”
The women – who is deaf and has advanced dementia – was left in tears and with a red mark on her arm.
Carer Karla Kirschlagerova was sacked from her job at Stormont Lodge in Blairgowrie when the incident was reported to bosses.
She has been removed from the Scottish Social Service Council (SSSC) register following a fitness to practice hearing.
Stormont Lodge, which is operated by the Perth-based Balhousie group, offers 31 en-suite residents’ rooms and specialises in Alzheimer’s and dementia care.
The misconduct panel heard that Kirschlagerova, 57, was working at the facility in July 2016, when the incident happened.
One witness, an agency health worker, said she was helping another carer take the resident – named only as CC – to the toilet for a clean and change of clothes.
Kirschlagerova was asked to help them in the bathroom. The panel heard she appeared “disgruntled” but came to assist, saying: “CC’s son was moaning about how CC was being treated. Do you blame us? Look at her.”
CC was unable to stand on her feet for long and kept sitting down. Kirschlagerova repeatedly shouted “stand up” and “look up.”
She pushed the woman’s head back whilst shouting at her. The witness said CC had become “very distressed and upset”. She started crying and her voice was wobbly, the panel heard.
A care home colleague told the hearing she had found the incident distressing and had became tearful herself.
Both witnesses told of a red mark on CC’s arm, where Kirschlagerova had been holding her.
The panel also found that she had repeatedly slapped CC under the chin.
In its written findings addressed to Kirschlagerova, a SSSC spokesman said: “Your actions caused physical harm to CC to the extent that a red mark appeared on her arm.
“CC was extremely distressed by your actions.”
He added: “There are serious public protection and public interest issues. The panel was not satisfied that you have taken any steps to re-mediate your behaviour.”
Further allegations that Kirschlagerova had pulled another resident’s trousers down to her ankles in a public area of the care home were unfounded.
A spokeswoman for the Balhousie Group said: “We can confirm that Ms Kirschlagerova was in our employment between 2013 and July 2016, when the incident took place.
“She was suspended immediately following the incident in question and the necessary authorities were alerted. She was then dismissed following a full investigation.”
She added: “The safety and dignity of our residents is our utmost priority.”
