Estia Health apologises to families after residents slapped in Epping

The aged care centre where a nursing assistant slapped four elderly residents with dementia has issued an apology to families after the ordeal.

Asmita Pandey leaves Parramatta Local Court with her lawyer after pleading guilty to assaulting for elderly women living at Estia Health in Epping.

Estia Health has apologised to families after a former nursing assistant pleaded guilty to assaulting four residents at the Epping home.

Asmita Pandey, 26, was arrested at Homebush in March and charged with four counts of common assault.

A charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm was withdrawn after Pandey pleaded guilty to assaulting elderly residents Therzina Morrison, Joan Murray, Catherine Harrison and Jill Woods between December 2021 and March last year.

On Monday, the court heard how Pandey would slap the women – two of whom were 95 – when they were getting ready for bed or being showered because they were being “loud” and “uncooperative”.

Fellow employees of Estia who witnessed the abuse at the aged care centre - commonly known as the Poplars - reported it to management and police.

After Pandey admitted the assaults, a statement from Estia Health’s chief executive Sean Bilton was issued.

The abuse occurred at Estia’s Epping aged care centre. Picture: Phillip Rogers

“We sincerely apologise that this has occurred at the home,” Mr Bilton said.

“The safety and wellbeing of our residents is our foremost priority.

“We do not tolerate any form of abuse or mistreatment of our residents. As soon as we became aware of the allegations, we informed the police, and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, and met with the families of those residents involved.

“We also spoke with the families of all our residents in the home.’’

Pandey’s employment was terminated immediately. She is due to be sentenced at Parramatta Local Court on March 17.

Joan Murray was one of Asmita Pandey’s victims.

This distressing matter is now reaching its conclusion and our thoughts are with our residents and their families,’’ Mr Bilton said.

He said staff were trained to report elder abuse under the See Something, Say Something whistleblower program.

It also encouraged the government to prevent offenders from working in the sector.

“Estia Health continues to strongly encourage the government, as part of the wider sector reforms recommended by the Royal Commission in Aged care Quality and Safety, to introduce a national register of workers to help ensure that those who behave inappropriately, or who have a history of doing so, are prevented from working in the sector,’’ he said.

“Any form of abuse or mistreatment of aged care residents in Australia should not be tolerated.

“We encourage anybody with concerns to speak directly with their residential aged care home’s manager or the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.’’