Elderly abuse in resthomes not widespread, says industry

The head of an organisation that represents providers of residential care for the aged is denying that elder abuse is widespread in resthomes.

HealthCare Providers NZ chief executive Martin Taylor said it was always distressing to hear about abuse but the reality was that no sector was perfect and recent media attention had created a negative perception about aged residential care.

Mr Taylor said he was partly responding to a segment on the TVNZ Sunday programme last night about a woman who was allegedly abused physically and mentally by staff at two Auckland resthomes.

He was also responding to media reports of elder abuse, which had focused only on abuse by resthome caregivers.

In the Sunday programme, Aucklander Jane Sparks said she had taped her mother's caregivers abusing her physically and verbally.

"The elderly are in resthomes and are being abused. It happens more often than you realise," Ms Sparks said.

However, Mr Taylor said the best research to date confirmed elder abuse was not systemic or widespread in aged residential care.

He said Age Concern had reported that out of 735 complaints received between 2002 and 2004, only 108 involved people living in aged residential care.

- NZPA