Elderly forced into aged care for convenience: Watchdog

FAMILIES and doctors are forcing old people into nursing homes “against their will’’, a State Government watchdog has warned.

FAMILIES and doctors are forcing old people into nursing homes against their will, a State Government watchdog has warned.

Public Advocate Mary Burgess has accused Queensland Health of using guardianship laws to save money by fast-tracking patients into aged care. And she has criticised families for putting elderly relatives into nursing homes for convenience.

Ms Burgess has warned that the practice of moving older people against their will from their homes and into residential aged care is a form of elder abuse.

Family members and hospital staff are lodging “many” guardianship applications to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) to force older people into nursing homes, her latest report to State Parliament reveals.

“Some applications appear to be driven by convenience, with family members wanting things sorted out so that they can be relieved of the ­responsibility of their older ­relatives’ day-to-day care,” the report says.

The involvement of Queensland Health staff may be driven by risk and/or cost, it says, as patients will have ongoing treatment in a nursing home instead of a hospital.

In her report, Ms Burgess said that cost-cutting and convenience must not trump the rights of older people to make decisions for themselves.

She cited the case of an elderly man who fought attempts to force him into a home.

“A clearly competent elderly man, who was in hospital as a result of a fall in his home, was reported by doctors as ‘lacking insight’ because he wanted to return to his home with support and did not want to discuss moving to an aged care facility,” the report says.

“This ‘lack of insight’ was interpreted by the doctors as an early sign of dementia … and formed the basis of the guardianship application.”

QCAT refused to grant guardianship after the man fought back using a legal ­service.