Has your sister been diagnosed with memory loss in the past? Has she been checked out by a medical professional?

Is she getting paid for time off right now?

I cannot offer legal advice, but I can shed some light on the medical issues here. I am a licensed SLP (speech-language pathologist) and I deal directly with memory deficits.

To begin with, “memory problem” is not a diagnosis. It is an anecdotal observation, especially when made by an employer. If there is a medical condition, it is called “functional cognitive dysfunction” or “symbolic dysfunction” and the diagnosis comes from a doctor. Your sister needs to see a neurologist first and foremost– if there is a memory problem, she needs to find out the etiology… could she have had a small stroke? (By the way, psychiatrists don’t work with functional cognitive deficits– they usually refer to SLPs) The neuro will likely send her her for a CT or MRI of the brain. The neurologist should also send her to a speech pathologist (neurologists and SLPs work closely together on cases like these, so it should be a routine referral) who will do functional cognitive testing and can accurately diagnose the type and severity (with a standardized score) and can also perform any therapy necessary to help her reach her prior functional status. Conversely, the SLP can also provide standardized scores that show that the patient has functionally normal cognitive status if that is the case, which will help your sister fight this whole situation.

The other situation that was not brought up… the supervisor announced a so-called medical diagnosis on your sister in a staff meeting? I’m assuming the supervisor is a nurse. This is an ethical violation as well as a HIPAA violation. The supervisor would have to have permission from your sister to reveal any medical information publicly. She really should have known better.

Good luck to your sister.