KEY POINTS:
Elderly people are being abused, neglected and robbed by those who are meant to be taking care of them, MPs heard yesterday.
The Action on Elder Abuse group told Parliament's social services select committee inquiry into care for the disabled that it was deeply concerned about the shocking care given to the elderly in many rest homes and hospitals.
"In one dementia unit, patients are constantly being flicked on the bottom by carers. One carer started this, the others followed.
"They think it's funny. Even the team leader joins in," the organisation quoted one carer saying in its submission to the inquiry.
"On numerous occasions I've witnessed hitting of hospital patients especially in dementia units. In fact it's a regular occurrence that after changing an incontinence pad the carer will slap the patient on the bottom."
The carer said many elderly people were treated roughly and with disrespect.
MPs heard that a woman's complaint about her elderly mother being left on a toilet with a broken arm in a very distressed state had been ignored.
One night her family were called to say her mother had fallen twice. An ambulance was not called until her daughter arrived at the rest home.
On being admitted to hospital, her mother was found to have a bladder infection, a broken hip, bruising, a high temperature, dehydration and suffering from shock.
"My mother died in Wellington Public Hospital two days after her admission as a result of her injuries and poor condition."
The rest home investigation was a "whitewash", but a later inquiry by the Health Ministry found staff were under-trained and the rest home had no procedures for dealing with falls.
Another man's elderly mother had $40,000 taken out of her account by a carer using stolen and forged cheques.
The police were slow to take action and the carer had openly tried to persuade his mother to give her money.
"The caregiver has actually rung my mother and asked her if she will ask her son [me] to lift the monetarium [sic] on her bank account so she can buy a lawnmower," the man said in the AEA submission. "The caregiver has also called at my mother's house and asked her to sign a document stating that she hadn't stolen money from her."
An AEA spokeswoman said the carer was jailed last year after appearing in court.
- NZPA
