Today is the beginning of a public reckoning of Australia’s aged care industry with a two-part program called “Who Cares?” airing on 4 Corners on ABC TONIGHT at 8.30pm, revealing their findings from a special investigation into Australia’s Aged Care industry. The 4 Corners aged care investigation feels so much more important to watch after a care worker was charged by Police for allegedly beating an elderly man in the Bupa Nursing Home at Seaforth with a shoe, which was caught on video by the family who hid a camera in their father’s bedroom, after they had sighted suspect-bruises on him.
Read about the Seaforth incident in full and watch the video by clicking here:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-06/aged-care-worker-allegedly-assaults-elderly-man-in-sydney/10207202
I strongly suggest that you watch “Who Cares?” on 4 Corners on the ABC tonight at 8.30pm so that you can be a more informed consumer of aged care services. If you miss it tonight then watch it on ABC iview.
I am sorry to say this, however it needs to be said
Some blame does lay at the feet of our Coalition Government. Aged care in Nursing Homes is seriously underfunded which means staffing levels are too low. As I wrote in this blog, the Coalition cut funding to Nursing Homes without consultation with the Nursing Home industry and with no notice. Of course, the effect was staffing cuts as I wrote in this second blog.
Why aren’t minimum staffing levels mandated in Nursing Homes?
Why aren’t Registered Nurses mandatory in Nursing Homes?
The Government knows subsidising in-home care is cheaper than subsidising nursing home beds. The evidence is that quality in home care and utilising primary health care such as GPs and Specialist Drs prevents hospitalisations and delays, or prevents altogether, Nursing Homes placements.
The Government knows that 97% of older people prefer to stay at home rather than go to a Nursing Home.
So why are over 108,000 elderly people on a waiting list for a Government Subsidised In Home Care Package? In our experience, older people are very stoic and they don’t ask for care support until they are PAST the point of needing it or they have a health crisis and they are hospitalised. At that point, to make Elders wait 1-2 years for the Home Care Package level they were approved for is just cruel. Many seniors, especially pensioners who do not have investments to draw down on, are placed into a Nursing Home while waiting for their Home Care Package to be assigned.
4 Corners have published this article today to give some lead-in information for tonight’s show.
You can read the article by clicking here:
http://www.abc.net.au/interactives/agedcare/
Remember that Daughterly Care was started 21 years ago by Verlie and myself because Verlie had worked in a Nursing Home. Verlie saw first-hand the neglect and she decided that older people were better off staying in their own home and so we started Daughterly Care. How we started Daughterly Care.
Is today’s ABC article a few disgruntled ex-employees “getting their own back” or is what they have said aligned with our experience of aged care in nursing homes? We agree these are relevant issues even in 2018.
Nurse Verlie says, “Well finally the truth is coming out”
The case of the 82 year old man being hit repeatedly…in fact he was hit so many times that he fell off his bed trying to get away from his abuser…that is an extreme case and today’s ABC article contains none of that extreme behaviour. It’s the wider spread, everyday, poor-quality care that employees of Nursing Homes are sharing.
Yes, people do suicide in Nursing Homes
We had a 99 year old client who was a well-educated lady who had worked all her life and could afford to stay at home. She was so looking forward to her 100th birthday and her letter from her Queen. She had a Government Subsidised in Home Care Package paying for her 3 hours of in home care a day and she could afford to pay for extra care if she needed it.
She was happy at home. She had no cognitive issues. She loved her food especially when it was freshly cooked and extra tasty. She had a very small fall with NO INJURY. This was the excuse for her relative to place her into a Nursing Home:
- against her will;
- against her care needs; and
- against her ability to continue to lead a quality life at home.
She suicided in a very nice Nursing Home on the Northern Beaches. How? She told us her relative “doesn’t care about me” but she didn’t want to “go against” that person by saying “thank you for placing me in this nursing home but I AM going home today”. She would not stand up for herself. Instead she chose to stop eating, chose to stop walking, chose not to get out of bed even though she could do all these actions. It doesn’t take too long to die that way.
“It’s regular, if you’re on a night shift as a registered nurse, to be in charge of 100, 120, 150 people”.
Last week, one of my own office staff told me she was the only care worker (not a Registered Nurse) when she did a night shift on her OWN at Northern Beaches Nursing Home and she had to attend to 80 high care need elderly clients.
Just think about that.
One careworker to assist high care elders who need to:
✓ go to the toilet;
✓ who fall whilst trying to mobilise on their own;
✓ who are confused, or scared or anxious or worried because of their dementia – or maybe just because they feel alone and are scared because there is no real assistance overnight.
It’s just NOT possible.
She told me “I did one shift and never did another one– it was too stressful, too sad”.
“There were residents who didn’t get fed”
True.
I wrote about attending a Leading Aged Care Association Conference in 2014 where a dietician presented evidence-based research on malnutrition in nursing homes versus hospital versus elders living in their own homes.
Nursing Homes were found to have the highest malnutrition rate of 40% to 60% of residents. The research found one of the main reasons why residents were malnourished was lack of staff at meal times. More information on this page of our website.
That’s why families pay for Daughterly Care to visit at lunchtime on the days they cannot attend, to ensure their Loved One is fed.
One of my best friends volunteered in 2017 to visit a lady who had no relatives in a Sydney Nursing Home and she noticed the lady opposite was never given a cup of tea when the tea lady came around. After observing this for numerous weeks, she broke the rule, she advocated for a person who she was not assigned to help.
Nicely she asked “Can I ask you a question? I notice that this lady, opposite the lady I visit, never gets offered a cup of tea, can I ask why that is?”
Answer from the tea trolley lady: “Because I asked her if she wanted a cup of tea and she didn’t answer, so I don’t ask anymore”.
Through gritted teeth my friend said “She didn’t answer you because she CAN’T talk. But I can see in her eyes that she wants a cup of tea. Every time you come around please give her a cup of tea”.
The lady was given a cup of tea and she held it with both hands and sculled it! She gave my friend a big smile.
That’s a Sydney Nursing Home in 2017. Seriously? How would you feel never being offered a cup of tea, watching everyone else drinking their tea. It’s appalling on such a basic level. I bet that tea lady received no training on common issues like “aphasia” – the inability to speak because a tiny part of your brain is damaged.
“We could only use three continence pads for any resident on any day”.
Nurse Verlie says: “True years ago and still true today.
Three was the limit when I worked in a Nursing Home over 21 years ago and I asked someone working in a national brand nursing home in 2018 and was told that 3 pads per 24 hours is the limit per resident.
Why is there a limit?
Why should an older person have to sit in urine or faeces to meet a pad limit? Then the Government wonders why so many elders get urinary tract infections and end up in hospital being treated, and sometimes dying, from their Urinary Tract Infection which has spread to their blood.
There is no dignity or quality of care with pad limits.”
“Just go in your pad”
“I visited my Aunty in a “lovely new” Nursing Home. She was in her mid-90s. I always described my Aunty as “the lady of the family”. Her whole life she presented elegantly, well dressed with beautiful hair and make-up. She took care of her appearance and she spoke well and was full of love and grace.
My brother was in his 50s and I was in my 40s when we visited my Aunty in the nursing home. We were literally sitting at her knee, along with my cousin, my Aunty’s daughter.
My Aunty waved down a caregiver or nurse and asked to go to the toilet. In front of us – her guests – my Aunty was told “you have a pad on, just go in your pad”. Where is the dignity in being denied being taken to the toilet when you know you want to go and you can walk with assistance?
To consciously have to urinate in your pad with your adult nephew and adult niece visiting you, sitting so close, at your knee.
There is no dignity.
It was humiliating for my Aunty and it was humiliating that we heard it.
Worse still it flies in the face of all the best practice and what we were taught at university – prevention is always better health care and cheaper than curing illnesses. My Aunty quietly held-on but I could see her looking around for another nurse. I tried not to take over but I couldn’t stand it anymore. I asked my Aunty’s daughter if we could please take my Aunty to the toilet, which we did.
I asked my cousin why she didn’t speak up for her mother and she said “I don’t want to ruffle any feathers, I need them to be nice to Mum when I am not here and this is a small issue, you pick your battles”.
Nail on the head.
Older people themselves are afraid to speak up for their basic rights for fear of reprisals, and so too are their loving families. They are worried what will happen to their Mum or Dad when they are not there. People shouldn’t feel that way.
Some years back I was invited by COTA to attend a meeting with KPMG, who were collecting information about Aged Care Facility experiences, to feed it back to the Government. I heard such awful real world experiences that I decided if you were taken to the toilet when you wanted to go and you were fed in a Nursing Home – you were doing decidedly well – isn’t that a poor reflection on the system.
It is imperative that all Daughterly Care clients, including self-funded elders, who have eligible care needs are in receipt of a Government Subsidised Home Care Package or on the National Queue waiting for a Home Care Package. Not sure if your Loved One has eligible care needs? Ring us for a chat.
Kate Lambert
B.Ec F.Fin
Daughterly Care CEO & Co-Founder
Thank you Kate for all this valuable information so that relatives of the elderly can help to keep their parent or elder at home or, if a resident in a Nursing Home, they know what to watch out for.
Dear J, you are welcome. We have been presenting FREE educational seminars in Mosman for a couple of years now to explain how Seniors can stay out of the Nursing Home. With in home care Seniors stay their own boss. https://daughterlycare.com.au/in-home-care-seminars
I have worked in different nursing homes over the years. I started working in nursing homes at a very young age, I moved from one to another as I couldn’t bear the way fragile bed ridden elderly people were treated and handled with rough hands. Fragile bedridden people were handled so roughly they would cry. These aged care facilities were well known and in Neutral Bay and Mosman.
When I was 17, I was put on night shift at the War Vets at Collaroy Plateau and I was on my own!!! I can’t remember how many patients I had on my floor, but I remember it was terrifying.
I think that every nursing home should have cameras and a supervisor on every level to watch over staff closely.
I also think children should be taught who our elderly are and the respect that they have earned. Education could start at school after all, elderly people are human beings like all of us who feel pain, love, joy, sadness and happiness and being a nicer, kinder person to our elderly and each other, people would come to realise how fulfilling and rewarded they would feel in themselves.
Everyone, starting with children, should be educated at school and home about the cycle of life.
I know I don’t live under a rock but I seriously need time to process the ABC program tonight. Very upsetting. I also know I don’t like Sean Rooney. Wonder how long he’ll be in the job for after tonight.
I hear you, Tammy! I felt physically sick watching “Who Cares?” on 4 Corners. Verlie said she really wanted to turn it off watching the distress of the lady who was blind. Yes, Sean did the industry no favours, fancy saying Elderly people have low nutrition needs. Seniors’ need all the nutrition they can get. Surely he meant low-calorie needs.
Hi All
Thank your Kate & Veralie for your comments.
Sean Roonary leading Aged Care Services is an inexperienced teenager trained to be a yes man with no life compassion or experience at all.
As well as Ken Wyatt, neither responsible representatives have any idea about ‘dependencies’.
In 1984 as a Registered Nurse on a medical ward we had to spend almost one hour a eight hour shift, just working out Range of Dependencies of patients an important equation for identifying staff ratio needed for next shift. (In a Public Hospital)
Thank God I’m not working in a nursing home facility as a Registered Nurse or Personal Carer. The examples given are so immoral for any human respect and that could be ‘you or me in that bed’ all day.
As per program tonight Catherine Logan, such a brave women in her working life that suffered without respect in a nursing home with relatives that also loved her.!!!
Pamela Paslow, who was given Anti Psychotic medication inappropriately PRN (as needed) by those not educated in the Administration of Medications and not appropriately by a Registered Nurse on duty attending maybe 40 individuals or more, to make decisions of any consideration.
I hope this program stimulates the politicians to spare a thought and do something about, other than their own parents who would have an annex for their own to have 24hr care for their elders, which represents 0.5% of the aged Australian population.
Speaking with all who have found this program & issues confronting
Kind wishes
Annie Payne
Thank you, Annie, for your insightful comments as a Registered Nurse. You can understand why older people want to stay at home for as long as possible. I just wish they didn’t have to wait for 1 to 2 years to be assigned their proper level of Home Care Package that they have been approved for. Elders are going to Nursing Homes while waiting for the Home Care Package.
This is nothing new, after over three decades in the industry the situation only appears to be getting worse
After watching the program and having Sean Rooney. CEO of Leading Aged Care Australia asked what he thought about $6.40 being spent per resident per day giving the answer “ well they don’t really need nutrition as the are not active” as well as the fact the he didn’t think there was a need for carer ratio to resident, what chance do they have,
This is all about profit and making sure that the have the paper work done so that they can receive higher funding.
We should be ashamed of allowing this to be still be happening in Australia
Well said, Jean. Verlie said 25 years ago she had until 10.30am to get all her morning showers done and that often she would be running 2 or 3 people behind. But when other careworkers skited that they had all their showers done she just replied: “it is not a race and at least I HAVE showered ALL my people”. Fancy just wiping a person’s face and that’s their shower / wash for the day. Sean’s answer about having to shower a high complex care client in 6 minutes and him not being able to say whether that was reasonable or not. You don’t have to be too bright to know that is NOT physically possible to shower a high complex needs’ client.
It was very distressing to watch how residents were treated in a nursing home. I worked in nursing homes and I decided I could not do it anymore. Not enough staff to provide proper care for each resident and so much pressure. The problem is that there are not enough staff to provide the proper care for each resident. The nursing home I worked in had 750 residents and only 12 staff on duty. The continence pads should not be a limit to each person. The resident was left in total darkness and became very distress, that is a no no. Residents become lonely and distressed.
Thank you, Mavis, for your comment. Yes, it was very distressing to watch. Was that 75 residents and 12 staff or 750 residents and 12 staff? Yikes! There IS a better way of caring for elderly people and it is in their own home where they remain the boss OR in a 10 bedroom home where they are treated as a whole person, not an inhumane number and there is a focus on not only what they NEED, but also what makes them HAPPY and CONTENT like http://www.joyfullivinghomes.com.au
Sean Rooney is a puppet on the strings of the corporations both for-profit and “faith-based”. The residents and children must seize the means of aged care! They must overthrow this capitalistic agenda and revolt against their oppressors.
Thank you Karl. Stewart Brown Chartered Accountants collect financial data on the profitability of Nursing Homes and currently many are losing money and those that are making money are making 1-2% which is a very low return for the risks they face as business owners. We saw Oakdale, which was Government owned and run have terrible abuse. The older generation is known as the SILENT GENERATION…however their children – the baby boomers – will not tolerate these low care outcomes.
I think it’s disgusting, and so sad. Not much has changed, it’s gotten worse I think. I worked in a nursing home after doing a 12 month course, not 3 months training. I worked in the nursing home for 8 months and that was enough for me. Some of the nursing staff were rough, not gentle or very caring. I remember crying with one of the patients, just a few tears fell from my eyes as we bed bathed a lady because she was so frail. The nurse told me to snap out of it.
I couldn’t believe it as I continued to work there, that I didn’t see much of what I had learnt in that 12 months of study.
There was no time with the patients and yes, 3 pads a day hasn’t changed much.
I also noticed their fluid intake, not many of the patients could even reach for a drink. Their drink was left beside them for hours. I used to get into trouble taking the time to sit them up to drink. All I got told was come on, come on.
I also remember being asked while feeding a patient, if her false teeth were around anywhere? Which they weren’t and she replied, “don’t worry about it”. Imagine anyone trying to eat without teeth. I remember asking the Registered Nurse but it didn’t help. It is so wrong, and it still happens.
Lorraine Glasby
Lorraine, you are a beautiful carer. Its soul destroying to work in Nursing Homes when you can’t care for people well because of the understaffing and also the general attitude “of lack of care” is a big part of the problem we have exceptional carers who can’t work in Nursing Homes because it is soul-destroying, instead they prefer to provide one-on-one care called Live in Care, which is the Gold Start Standard for around the clock, 24 hour care for high care elders. Learn more about Live in Care here.https://daughterlycare.com.au/our-services/live-in-home-care
Sean Rooney made me upset. He tried to cover his lack of knowledge and obviously not caring at all by using the phrase person centred care without knowing what this really means. He was so defensive and clearly fumbling and failing when questioned.
I too have worked in a nursing home and know the rush and pressure placed on staff to get four or five people showered and dressed between 6.30am and 8am and to be seated for breakfast in the dining room by 8am.
Imagine ( which i saw on several occasions) sleeping soundly when someone enters your room rips the curtain open and says time for your shower now Mandy. Come on hurry up.
I tried to be conscious of this and take the softly, softly wake up approach and be respectful.
One night i covered for someone on the night shift – just me from 10pm to 6am with 80 residents, fortunately nothing happened that i couldn’t handle on my own but there is that word again – ratio.
This is bad news for the staff in the WHS respect as corners are cut trying to be quick and efficient. This leads to poor care and risk of injury to both parties.
The other thing i hated and would act on was Mrs Catherine Logan dressed in a thick cardigan on hot summers day and left in her chair in the beating sun by the window with no water. I could go on……………………..
Thank you, Mandy. Yes, it was so sad to hear that Catherine Logan, who was blind, would hold her glass in her hand hoping to get the attention of staff to give her some water. Such basic neglect. Heart breaking.
Just heartbreaking. Very thankful for organisations like Daughterly Care that recognised these problems decades ago and took action to make change so far ahead of the pack. Here’s hoping that the recent exposés result in proper reform and more people opting for in home care when possible.
Spot on Evan, we need aged care reform to continue. Just as we have had Consumer Directed Care introduced with Home Care Packages we need to have reform for Nursing Homes. I look forward to the day when elders can MOVE to another Nursing Home and take their Government Funding with them, which they cannot do now. When we give Elders that power we will see care needs and quality of life improve for our senior citizens.
Thanks kate and verlie,
Not a lot has changed.
Goes back to something we have all expressed training.
Years ago I had to have maximum 65 hours hands-on experience before I would be considered for employment and that was over a 6 month period.
I had 110 hours hand-on experience when I started in a hostel.
Even then the afternoon staff was ratio 1 per 15.
And at night 1 person per 65 residents.
Thanks to Daughterly Care for providing your great service.
I can’t see things in nursing homes changing until staff numbers and training is greatly improved.
Thanks, Margaret, sounds like there was more training in years gone by, even though the staffing ratios were poor. An issue the Government needs to come to grips with is that ratios providers got away with in years gone by are no long er appropriate today because we have elders going into Nursing Homes later and later with higher an higher care needs. Our Joyful Living Home that is opening in November 2018 has published on its website that our staffing ratio is 1 staff member to 3 residents, which a LOT better then ratios you have worked under.
Dear J, you are welcome. We have been presenting FREE educational seminars in Mosman for a couple of years now to explain how Seniors can stay out of the Nursing Home. With in home care Seniors stay their own boss. https://daughterlycare.com.au/in-home-care-seminars
Hi Kate,
Because the status of Aged Care has been the same or worsening for a long time, we need to be able to change the whole mindset of people in relation to Aged Care, before anything will change. e.g. –
Mindset a)
a) Everyone will end up in Nursing Home/Care Facility –
NO, NOT NECESSARILY SO – you can stay at home with Govt assistance
Mindset b)
b) In Home Care costs too much –
NO, IT IS ACTUALLY CHEAPER STAYING HOME WITH CARE THAN GOING INTO CARE FACILITY.
Mindset c)
c) If they tell me in hospital I have to go to a Facility, then I have to go –
NO, YOU HAVE THE CHOICE TO LIVE WHERE YOU WANT, AS LONG AS YOU HAVE FUNDING AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS IN PLACE.
Mindset d)
(d) Not everyone is eligible for IN HOME CARE funding, there are means tests –
EVERYONE IS ELIGIBLE IF YOU HAVE NEEDS – IN HOME CARE IS ONLY INCOME TESTED, (not assets) )AND IF YOUR INCOME IS HIGH, YOU PAY A LITTLE BIT TOWARDS YOUR FUNDING, BUT YOU ARE STILL ELIGIBLE FOR GOVT ASSISTANCE.
Let’s start changing the collective mindset about Aged Care, and let everyone know they have choice, and can access Govt assistance to realise those choices.
Thank you Robin, well said. The educated Elder receives better support and care, that’s why you and I have been presenting FREE Educational Seminars for seniors and their adult children, relatives or Enduring Guardians. People always tell us they learn a lot and enjoy the seminar.
Read about our seminar on this page https://daughterlycare.com.au/in-home-care-seminars
All or clients and their friends should attend our FEE seminar.
Well Nick, what a loving blessing you were to your parents. Well done, pat on your back for having the gumption to stand up for your parents, for making the time to negotiate to bring them home. I just don’t understand making vulnerable older people live in an institution for the final 18 months of their life, when there are options to live happily at home. You get to live with NO REGRETS. Your parents felt loved and cared for. Happiness all around. Well done.