Carer wrongly accused of elder abuse awarded €7k

An assistant at a Cork nursing home who was accused of elder abuse and subsequently fired has won her case for unfair dismissal and has been awarded €7,000.

The Employment Appeals Tribunal was told that Bridhaven Nursing Home in Mallow, Co Cork, was obliged to have a zero-tolerance policy in respect of any staff conduct judged to fall within the definition of elder abuse.

The nursing home called a number of witnesses to the tribunal hearing in Cork in September to show “substantial grounds” to justify the dismissal of Dora Szabo on the grounds of elder abuse.