System fails mentally disabled

Adults with intellectual disabilities are treated as second-rate citizens, says a damning National Health Committee report.

Committee member Lorna Sullivan said the report showed that, while care had moved from institutions into the community, little had really changed.

"We have moved away from the buildings of institutions but not from the mentality of institutions."

She said it was a worry that "there are a group of people living in this country who have very bleak lives, whose lives are trivialised, they are wasted, they are futureless, they are isolated from society".

An estimated 11,500 to 15,000 adults need support for disability.

The report found services were often prescriptive, life-defining, restrictive and denied people the opportunity to achieve goals the rest of society took for granted.

Basic health needs were neglected. "Many adults with an intellectual disability endure prolonged suffering from health conditions that are treatable, relievable and curable, yet receive inadequate medical management."

Disturbing prescribing practices were uncovered - many people were over-medicated, used outdated medication and were unable to access specialist review.

A review of the pharmaceutical records showed many of those treated with psychotropic drugs had never been diagnosed with a psychiatric condition.

- NZPA