KEY POINTS:
The gagging of an elderly woman in an Auckland rest home is "totally unacceptable" and the facility is likely to face intense Health Ministry scrutiny, Prime Minister Helen Clark says.
Police and the Ministry of Health were yesterday investigating after an elderly woman's mouth was taped shut by an Auckland rest-home worker because she made too much noise.
Two ministry staff made an unannounced visit to the Belhaven Rest Home, a villa in Market Rd, Epsom, on Friday afternoon after complaints were made, safety and quality manager Rose Wall said yesterday.
The resident, aged in her 70s, still had the wide medical tape stuck across her mouth, and one of the ministry staff removed it.
Helen Clark today condemned the incident, which she hoped was not the tip of the iceberg.
Helen Clark said on Newstalk ZB the rest home was likely to have breached several rules.
"That rest home would be in breach of every law, regulation, accreditation criteria, whatever. I mean it's absolutely not on to have that happen to any person."
"Most people who run rest homes pride themselves on the quality of care and the living environment they provide, but this is clearly totally unacceptable," she said on TVNZ's Breakfast programme today.
"I would think that rest home is in very serious trouble with the Ministry of Health."
Helen Clark said there were several safeguards in the aged care sector.
"We have laws, we have regulations, we have policies, we have accreditation systems to stop that sort of thing happening."
A ministry spokeswoman said a second check was made without warning at the rest home on Friday evening.
"There was another surprise visit at 6.30am on Saturday to check that the lady was okay, and she was."
Ms Wall said the incident was "very significant and is unacceptable".
"It's still being investigated. We need to understand whether this is an isolated incident or indicative of more systemic problems."
She did not yet know whether the woman's mouth had been taped before. The home's manager had given an assurance it would not happen again.
Senior Citizens Minister Ruth Dyson said the abuse was "abhorrent".
"As a community we need to change social attitudes by raising community awareness about the abuse and neglect of older people. It saddens me that such an incident can occur, but the abuse of older people is often a hidden problem," she said.
Health Minister David Cunliffe has sought urgent information on the case.
"I would expect if any rest home or care-provider was found to have allowed any form of abuse to have occurred then steps would be swiftly taken to ensure the safety of some of our most vulnerable citizens is protected and action taken against any perpetrator," he said.
Mr Cunliffe said if the facts were proven, he would expect the ministry to take urgent action against the rest home.
A spokeswoman for the Auckland District Health Board, which has a contract with the rest home, said the woman would be moved to a new residence "very soon".
All 12 Belhaven residents would be checked today by a board geriatrician.
But Belhaven owner Patricia Hooper said last night the woman's family were happy for her to stay there.
Belhaven, established in 1996, says it specialises in "brain injuries and psycho-geriatric residents".
Ms Hooper told the Herald the staff member who had taped up the woman's mouth had been dismissed and the elderly resident was "quite safe, quite happy, quite healthy".
She said the woman was deaf and unable to speak and had previously taped her own mouth. "She has been in institutions all her life."
The ministry's spokeswoman said its investigation could result in appointment of a monitor to oversee the running of the rest home, or closing it "if there are further concerns".
"At this stage the staff who visited were satisfied that the care being provided was OK."
Ms Wall said HealthCert issued certificates allowing complying rest homes to operate for up to three years, or less if issues arose.
Belhaven used to have a three-year certificate, but was switched to two years in September 2007 after an audit raised concerns about management and education of staff.
Progress on those issues had been reported in subsequent audits.
