Two aged care workers on international visas barred after hellish night at NSW nursing home
The hellish suffering of an 85-year-old man at the hands of two aged care workers has been revealed.
Health
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Two young aged care workers on working visas have been banned from providing “any health services” after an 85-year-old dementia sufferer was subjected to a hellish night of suffering drenched in urine.
The Health Care Complaints Commission has issued separate prohibition orders against Megana Pandey, 21, and Supryinka Poudel, 24, after investigating their alleged conduct during a night shift at an unnamed aged care facility in New South Wales operated by Infinite Care.
Ms Pandey, a Nepalese national, arrived in Australia on a student visa in 2022, while Ms Poudel, also from Nepal, came on a postgraduate bridging visa issued that year.
On the night in question, Ms Pandey and Ms Poudel were supposed to care for a male resident with cognitive impairments in the Memory Support Unit.
However, CCTV footage allegedly showed that on June 25, 2023, Ms Pandey and Ms Poudel repeatedly restrained and neglected him, leading to multiple falls without providing immediate assistance.
Despite his attempts to free himself and subsequent falls, the two staff members did not intervene promptly.
According to the commission, the several-hour incident shows both employees’ severe lapse in duty of care.
All the while, the resident was left writhing in “urine-soaked clothing”.
The allegations outlined multiple instances of neglect and abuse, including unauthorised use of restrictive practices and failure to report and appropriately respond to the resident’s falls.
An investigation by Maureen Kennedy Aged Care Consultancy on behalf of Infinite Care, highlighted a disturbing four-and-a-half hour timeline using CCTV footage that allegedly showed the resident was tied to a chair with a bedsheet at one point, a practice not sanctioned.
Timeline of events in alleged incident with dementia patient
June 24, 2023 – 11:50 PM: A resident is wheeled into the common area in a wheeled armchair.
June 25, 2023 – 12:06 AM: The lights in the common area are turned down, but CCTV footage remains clear.
12:06 AM: Ms Pandey and Ms Poudel allegedly tie the resident to the chair using a bedsheet, with the resident’s arms free above the sheet. The sheet is tied at the back of the chair, out of the resident’s reach.
12:08 AM: Both Ms Pandey and Ms Poudel sit in armchairs behind the resident, within 5 feet of him. The resident remains tied to his chair.
12:29 AM: Ms Pandey retrieves a chair to prop her feet on and then resumes her position behind the resident, using her mobile phone.
1:42 AM: Ms Poudel removes the sheet restraint, and both she and Ms Pandey re-tie the sheet around the resident’s torso. The sheet is tied at the back of the chair, out of the resident’s reach. Ms Pandey is seen using her mobile phone again before sitting down.
1:47 AM: The resident attempts to free himself from the sheet restraint, getting his head under the sheet. He positions himself with his knees on the floor, holding onto the chair for support, attempts to stand, but falls onto the floor. Both Ms Pandey and Ms Poudel are present for the fall and do not intervene or assist the resident.
1:50 AM: Ms Pandey and Ms Poudel assist the resident back into the wheeled chair and again restrain him with the bedsheet in the same manner.
1:56 AM: The resident attempts to get under the sheet and free himself from the restraint.
2:00 AM: The resident gets under the sheet and out of the restraint before falling to the floor. Ms Poudel allegedly removed the sheet used to restrain the resident from the chair. The resident is left on the floor, and Ms Poudel sits back down. The resident attempts to get up on several occasions but is unable to do so and falls back onto the floor. No assistance is provided by Ms Pandey or Ms Poudel.
2:07 AM: The resident remains on the floor. Ms Pandey gets up from her chair and places a cushion under the resident’s head and a sheet over him before sitting down again.
2:10 AM: Ms Poudel gets up and obtains a ‘crash mat’, which she places on the floor next to the resident. She then attempts to roughly pull and drag the resident onto the ‘crash mat’ before stopping and sitting back down. The resident remains on the floor, not on the ‘crash mat’.
2:30 AM: The resident is observed on all fours attempting to get onto the ‘crash mat’ and falls on his side. Ms. Pandey gets up and watches the resident on the floor for some time before sitting again. Neither worker provides assistance to the resident.
3:05 AM: Ms Poudel gets out of her chair and pushes a cushion toward the resident (on the floor) with her foot before moving the crash mat to behind the resident, who is still on the floor.
3:05 AM: Ms Poudel attempts to move the resident onto the crash mat but cannot. Ms Pandey gets up and assists, dragging the resident onto the mat.
3:09 AM: Ms Pandey and Ms Poudel sit down again. The resident is restless on the floor and rolls off the crash mat onto the floor.
3:18 AM: Both Ms Pandey and Ms Poudel get up before sitting down again. The resident remains on the floor.
3:37 AM: Both Ms Pandey and Ms Poudel are up and standing over the resident on the floor.
3:39 AM: Both Ms Pandey and Ms Poudel attempt to move the resident into a chair from the floor.
3:40 AM: The resident is assisted to his feet and roughly pushed into a chair by Ms Pandey.
3:58 AM: Ms Pandey is seated and seen holding/viewing a mobile phone screen.
4:06 AM: The resident attempts to stand and falls back into his chair.
4:20 AM: The resident attempts to stand and falls back into his chair.
4:26 AM: The resident attempts to stand and falls heavily onto the floor, appearing to strike his head as he lands. Both Ms Pandey and Ms Poudel remain in their seats while this occurs. Ms Poudel stands and walks away. Ms Pandey stands but no assistance is given to the resident for about one minute. Ms Poudel returns and a cushion is pushed under the resident’s head with her foot, and a sheet is draped over him. Both Ms Pandey and Ms Poudel sit down again.
Dealing with alleged ‘aggression’
The investigation found that both women were unsure of how to treat the “very aggressive” resident but did not seek adequate help.
During her interview on June 30, 2023, Ms Pandey admitted to several violations but deferred an element of responsibility to Ms Poudel.
“I am sorry but I followed my partner who is perm staff (sic) as I assumed she knows more than me,” she explained when questioned about her failure to use protective equipment for the high-risk resident.
When confronted with the CCTV evidence showing multiple falls, she admitted, “I do not have an answer, followed lead of partner who said was directive from RN (sic).”
Ms Pandey also conceded that moving equipment with her leg was not a demonstration of respect and acknowledged the resident deserved better care than what was provided on the night of the incidents.
She further claimed her ‘iCare’ system – which allows healthcare providers to keep records on their patients – was not functioning, but no subsequent entries were made even after it allegedly started working.
In addressing why the patient was bound, she said, “We covered the resident because he was wet, and he was taking off his pad and showing his genitals.”
“We were maintaining distance from the resident so that he won’t harm us.”
Ms Poudel also cited the resident’s alleged aggression for the pair’s actions.
“The resident was very aggressive even kicked my partner in bathroom and (was) willing to lay down several time (sic) and wasn’t willing to get up after he slide down on floor from chair,” she wrote in a submission to the Commission.
“ … then we have to do it manually since he was very aggressive and we thought using lifter won’t be appropriate in that situation.
… for your information this kind of incident happened in past as well and when we asked RN she mentioned if resident is aggressive and not willing to get up then forcing him won’t be appropriate, make sure he is safe and keep an eye on him but leave him on floor with blanket and pillows, while he get settled.”
Based on the investigation’s findings and admissions, the Commission issued two-year prohibition orders against the pair, effectively barring them from working in “any health services”.
The Commission emphasised the severe breach of care and the psychological and emotional distress inflicted on the resident, stressing the importance of maintaining dignity and respect in aged care settings.
Separate public statements from the Commission declared the pair “poses a significant risk to the health and safety of members of the public.”
The incidents were reported to the NSW Police, but no criminal charges were brought against Ms Pandey or Ms Poudel.
Originally published as Two aged care workers on international visas barred after hellish night at NSW nursing home
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