Shackles, drug remain as last resort for aged care residents with dementia
Restraints will still be used on aged care residents with dementia as a last resort after calls for the practice to end, while three homes have been given more time to get up to standard.
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- REVEALED: Full list of SA’s non-compliant aged care homes
- Aged care audit has sections redacted
- State-run facility meets just half of expected standards
- See the report and 14 recommendations
Aged-care residents with dementia face being shackled and drugged only “as a last resort”, after recommendations to halt the practice.
An independent audit of 44 aged-care homes by SA Health, ordered by the State Government, made 14 recommendations, including an end to physical and chemical restraints of residents affected by conditions such as dementia.
The audit last year found aged-care residents being restrained for seven hours at a time, “undue force” used by staff on the frail elderly and poor hygiene. But sections of the report were redacted.
SA Health said its regional networks were “working towards actioning each of the 14 recommendations at a local level”.
“All regional LHNs (local health networks) have now eliminated the use of excessive restrictive practise and abide by the current SA Health restraint policy whereby chemical or physical restraint should only be used as a last resort,” a statement said.
“All LHNs are continuing to progress recommendations, with all currently underway and on track to be completed by December 2020.”
Opposition health spokesman Chris Picton sought access to the redacted parts of the audit.
Ombudsman Wayne Lines ruled he was entitled to see some of them, based on “overwhelming public interest in disclosure of any information that would shed light on the quality of care that aged-care recipients receive”.
Mr Picton noted some of the state-run centres with standard failures had extensions to accreditation because they could not be inspected by federal regulators due to COVID-19 issues.
Barmera’s co-located Bonney Lodge and Hawdon House facilities each had met only 23 of 44 expected outcomes as of August last year. They were given a year to rectify issues, but now have a six-month extension.
“There’s significant doubt that the many concerns identified into state-run aged care have been addressed,” Mr Picton said.
“It is incumbent upon the Marshall Government to ensure the recommendations are fully implemented. The public has a right to know the concerns uncovered about state-run care. There’s no excuse for the Liberal government keeping these documents secret one minute longer.”
Oakden whistleblower Stewart Johnston last month told a parliamentary inquiry he had quit a committee looking at the installation of CCTV in homes as it had turned into a farce.
Originally published as Shackles, drug remain as last resort for aged care residents with dementia