Woman Dismisses Grandmother's Caregiver For Violating Privacy Regulations, Faces Backlash From Family For Whistleblowing

“I was only trying to protect my grandmother”

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• July 30, 2023

In life, every action causes a series of reactions, each with its own unique consequences. Sometimes, despite our best intentions, things may not unfold as we planned.

This universal truth can be confirmed through countless stories, one of which revolves around our narrator (Original Poster) and her 90-year-old grandmother. They were caught up in a chain of events that began innocently but spiraled beyond their control.

It all began on a regular day that OP spent hanging out with her grandmother. Her curiosity sparked as her grandmother revealed tidbits of information her caregiver had shared about some other patients.

This caused OP to ponder: If the caregiver was revealing private information about her other patients to Grandma, could it mean she was revealing private information about Grandma to other patients?

At this point, OP realized that she needed to take action to ensure her grandmother's privacy was respected. In a moment of anxiety-driven impulse, she called the home care agency responsible for the caregiver’s employment to make a report.

During the call, OP expressed her appreciation for the exceptional care and insisted that she did not want the caregiver to lose her job. However, she raised a valid point: perhaps additional training on the importance of patient privacy might be required, as her openness about other patients raised eyebrows.

To her dismay, the agency decided to fire the caregiver based on her concerns. Now OP’s family is furious because they blame her for losing a wonderful caregiver.

OP felt bad as this wasn’t the intended result. Is she the AH (A**hole) for escalating the issue in a bid to protect her grandmother’s privacy?

Scroll down to find out the verdict of the Reddit community.

Let's dig into the details

OP was concerned that her grandmother's home attendant was breaching patient privacy rules

Consequently, she called the home care agency to report the matter

The attendant was later fired, and now OP's family is furious with her

Here's how the Reddit community reacted to the story:

"If Jane was sharing medical information you were right to be concerned and to report it."

"Jane broke the Golden Rule of working in the medical profession."

"NTA you had a legitimate concern and what she was doing was a firable offense"

"Absolutely NTA. You did the right thing."

"This wasn't your fault, it was Jane's."

There might have been some further investigations or past complaints about the attendant

"NTA, it's a HIPPA violation and she should lose her license"

"If you thought Jane was doing a great job, then you should have talked to her first"

"Privacy is a thing, one that should be respected. You did the right thing"

In hindsight, OP realized the sensible course of action would have been to approach the caregiver directly. But it's evident that panic clouded her judgment.

The majority of commenters believe they have insufficient information on what exactly the caregiver disclosed to come to a verdict. However, It's essential not to underestimate the seriousness of breaking HIPAA ( Health Insurance Portability and Accountability) regulations.

We’d love to get your thoughts on this story. Join the conversation in the comments.

Jesse