I think it’s morally wrong either way but I assume since it’s private care and no contract and she lives there, she can drink while not on Shift but is it illegal for her to drink while on shift, she’s completely hammered by the time my friend starts at 10 pm! She’s scared to go to family and them relay the message back to caregiver who is her supervisor and then get treated poorly by her! Help on how to approach this! There are 2 daughters 1 likes the drunk but maybe doesn’t know how bad it is and the other daughter doesn’t like her! What’s the proper way to approach this?
I would be very careful how anything is put to anyone lest there be accusations of libel or slander. I think if this is an agency then I would report to my next in the chain of command that "I could be mistaken but I am thinking I smell alcohol, and am a little concerned; I will leave it in your hands".
If she doesn't care about her job, I would speak to the daughter who doesn't like the aide. But it would be nice to have proof. What are the laws in ur state concerning videos.
She has just arrived in this job and she knows virtually nothing about anyone in the household. She should do her work to the best of her ability, and zip it.
Are you saying that your friend is working at a home as a caregiver and there is another caregiver that has been hired as ‘private care’ for the client and when your friend arrives, she finds the caregiver hammered?
Hmmmm…okay, I can certainly see how this is extremely disturbing for your friend to witness. The most important issue here is the safety of the client. So, she most likely feels an obligation to say something but is concerned about what to say and whom to report it to?
I suppose that she can start a discussion with the sister that isn’t pleased with the caregiver’s service. I would open the discussion by showing concern about the client, saying that her primary interest is establishing a safe environment for her client. Then, it doesn’t come off as an accusation or judgmental.
She might tactfully bring up the topic of alcoholism as a disease and that many people, even caregivers, nurses and doctors have struggled with this insidious disease. She can emphasize the point that if the caregiver is an alcoholic, that she needs help for herself and isn’t capable of being a caregiver unless she is willing to get help and start living as an alcoholic in recovery.
Alcoholism doesn’t discriminate. There are people from all walks of life who suffer from this disease. There is no cure for alcoholism. There is treatment and if she does have an issue I hope that she receives help. This doesn’t mean that I feel that she should be working as a caregiver before going into recovery and placing people’s lives in jeopardy.
Best wishes to your friend and her client.