Paula Plummer Scenario

Experiential Abuse and Neglect Prevention Training

Paula Plummer Scenario Overview

Paula Plummer is a 71-year-old woman with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). She has lived in her home for 35 years and has lived alone since her husband’s death five years ago. She has been receiving home health care for two years. Her home health aide, Marilyn Marvin, comes in 5 times a week to help her with personal care, ambulation, checking vital signs, etc. Another caregiver comes on the weekends. Her daughter, Violet Smith, who lives several hundred miles away, comes to visit her mother for a weekend visit.

Violet contacts the home health aide’s supervisor stating that Marilyn has been stealing money and family heirlooms from her mother and insists that the caregiver be fired. The caregiver has been a good employee with no history of problems.

Eventually, the evidence indicates that Paula has been giving gifts of money and other valuable household property to Marilyn. Paula considers Marilyn a loving friend more than just her caregiver.

Scenario Learning Points:

Know it is important to follow the agency policy regarding gifts.
Establish guidelines for setting appropriate Client - Caregiver boundaries
Have language for communicating “no thank you” to overly-generous and appreciative clients

Facilitator’s Guide: