Shock report into aged care abuse reveals extent of elder abuse on Gold Coast
An 84-year-old woman was chemically restrained and left unable to even hold a conversation with her family. It’s just one of dozens of shocking cases on the Gold Coast revealed as part of a report into aged care.
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A SHOCK report into abuse and over-use of chemical restraints at aged care homes across Australia has detailed a number of incidents on the Gold Coast.
The Human Rights Watch report, Fading Away: How Aged Care Facilities in Australia Chemically Restrain Older People with Dementia, was supported by the Aged and Disability Advocacy Australia (ADA) and released in Canberra this week,
The report shows chemical restraint was practised in 35 aged care facilities across three states involved in the investigation, and called for a ban on the practice.
Federal Health Minister Richard Colbeck said restrictions were already in place.
The peak bodies argue aged care staff are routinely administering unnecessary medication to control behaviour, which is not required to treat medical symptoms.
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The report follows shock revelations at the Royal Commission into Aged Care where it was revealed 71 per cent of patients at the now closed Nerang nursing wing at the Earle Haven retirement village were being chemically restrained with psychotropic medication.
Earle Haven’s nursing home wing closed suddenly in July over a contractor dispute. The facility has since lost its federal accreditation.
One case study detailed in the Fading Away reports how an 84-year-old woman, “Glynnis’’, walked nine kilometres from a Gold Coast nursing home to her daughter’s home in 2017.
Following the incident, Glynnis – who had dementia – was put on medication to control her wandering, but the facility would not specify the name of the drug or the potential risks of the dosage to her guardians. The family later discovered Glynnis was being given antipsychotics.
“Everything about her, her health, her spirit, declined after that drug. We went to see her after the meds, and she couldn’t hold a conversation, she was dropping off to sleep,” granddaughter “Katie’’ was reported as saying.
Glynnis’s family met with management and asked that they stop the medication. The facility refused.
Glynnis went on to suffer serious weight loss and dehydration over about 18 months while she was on medication used to restrain her.
“Every afternoon after work I was going to feed her, and she was so dehydrated. They weren’t feeding her,” Katie said.
Glynnis died in 2018.
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The report detailed another incident at another Gold Coast care facility where a 99-year-old woman was reportedly given medication for restraint without her family’s knowledge.
“Marie”, the woman’s daughter, said she knew something was wrong after finding her mother unconscious and strapped by her stomach to a chair.
It was only after she saw a new medication listed on the nursing home bill that she discovered her mother was under medical restraint.
“I rang the doctor, saying, ‘You prescribed risperidone. Could you explain why?’ Because the nurses tell him to,” Marie said.
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Marie said the staff continued to restrain her mother despite being told not to.
Aged and Disability Advocacy Australia CEO Geoff Rowe said chemical restraint should not be the “go-to treatment’’.
“We cannot keep burying our heads in the sand when it comes to the welfare and treatment of
elderly Australians, particularly in regard to the unnecessary medication and restraint practices
occurring in aged care facilities,” said Mr Rowe.
“Instead, the government needs to step in and put a stop to this practice and invest time and
resources into finding ways to improve the lives of our elderly people through more dignified
means.”
Mr Rowe said Gold Coasters must continue to speak up about the treatment of their elderly.
“The issues at Earle Haven are the canary in the coal mine and have been happening over many years at other facilities,” he said.
“The community response to what they have seen has been one of horror and the community’s response has supported the government taking the hard action.
“It is really important the broader community continues to be outraged when they see bad things happen to older Australians.’’
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Gold Coast Medical Association president Dr Philip Morris, a specialist in psychogeriatrics, said in a majority of situations medications were used for the benefit of the patients.
“If it (medication) is only for the reason of sedating the patient for the convenience of the facility - that would be wrong.”
“Many dementia patients can’t give consent or don’t understand what is happening around them, but I agree every attempt should be made to get consent of the immediate family or caregivers.”
“I think we should have improved specialist training for all aged care staff.”
Minister for health Richard Colbeck said the use of restraint must always be the last resort.
The Australian Government is committed to the delivering high quality care for senior Australians and minimising the use of restraint in residential aged care is a top priority.
“On 1 July 2019, the Government delivered new Aged Care Quality Standards that put explicit obligations on residential aged care providers in respect of the use of restraints.”
“The new independent aged care regulator has strong powers to enforce the Standards.
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