Plan for spy cameras to protect aged care residents before Federal Parliament

SURVEILLANCE cameras would be installed in nursing homes to prevent residents being harmed, under a drastic surveillance plan before Federal Parliament.

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SPY cameras would be installed in nursing homes to prevent residents being harmed, under a drastic surveillance plan before Federal Parliament.

Occupational Therapy Australia (OTA) has warned that some personal carers are harming vulnerable old people in nursing homes.

“Video surveillance should be allowed in private rooms … with the permission of residents or their families and guardians,’’ it has told a Senate inquiry into aged care abuse. “There needs to be greater supervision of residents.’’

OTA told the inquiry that one occupational therapist had “overheard a patient being verbally abused and insulted by a male attendant’’ while being transferred from a bed to a wheelchair.

It criticised “chronic understaffing’’, with residents sometimes “forced to remain in bed all day’’.

The OTA told the Senate committee that it is “not uncommon for residents to suffer falls and fractures, or be left bedbound due to a lack of care’’.

“A veteran who had suffered a stroke had a leg amputated due to poor nursing care,’’ the OTA submission states.

“Many aged care facilities are short-staffed and residents often develop pressure sores as a result of neglect.

“Often family members of elderly nursing home residents are afraid to report cases of elder abuse for fear of how their parent/relative will be treated in future.’’

A leading law firm has threatened nursing homes with legal action over the death or injury of elderly residents from lack of care.

Shine Lawyers’ elder abuse expert Leanne McDonald said short-staffing was “no excuse for neglect’’.

A leading law firm has threatened nursing homes with legal action over the death or injury of elderly residents from lack of care.

“Doctors are failing to provide appropriate medication in some situations, nursing homes are not calling emergency services within acceptable times and lives are being lost prematurely as a result of this abuse and gross negligence,’’ she told The Courier-Mail.

“In some instances, residents are not being provided with adequate nutrition and hydration, medication is not being correctly managed, and clinical care is well below acceptable standards.’’

Ms McDonald said nursing homes that are short-staffed risk being sued over the death or injury of residents.

“These nursing homes shouldn’t be taking patients on if they can’t cope with the work required,’’ she said.

“If nothing is done to sort out this problem, nursing staff will also start to take legal action if they are injured while trying to do too much due to a lack of staff, like lifting patients on their own.’’

The Australian Medical Association has accused some nursing homes of doping elderly residents with tranquillisers to make them “easier to handle’’.

Originally published as Plan for spy cameras to protect aged care residents before Federal Parliament