Closer watch on dementia care units
Strengthened monitoring of dementia units needs to be followed by increased oversight of all aged-care facilities, Grey Power says. The Office of the Ombudsman will have the power to randomly inspect about 180 privately run dementia facilities, in changes gazetted by Justice Minister Andrew Little.
The has recently reported cases where elderly residents were strapped to chairs all day with minimal movement of repositioning.
Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier said his team would look out for those sorts of incidents. They will also begin monitoring detainees in court cells — opening up about 60 detention facilities to inspections.
“This is a big opening of the door. This will shine a light,” Boshier said. “This is a major expansion of our work and the breadth of our mandate.”
Boshier noted the number of New Zealanders with dementia is projected to nearly treble to about 170,000 by 2050.
“As the population ages and the number of aged-care facilities increases it is so important for them to be independently inspected.”
Grey Power president Mac Welch welcomed the change, something his organisation had been pressing for.
“We are very pleased with that announcement. We unfortunately have had — and there was a case reported in your paper recently — some pretty upsetting things happen. And we think there needs to be closer scrutiny of any aged-care facility. Not just the dementia units. Any agedcare facility.
“Dementia patients can’t sort the situation themselves, because of their circumstances. And a lot of them haven’t got regular family visitors that will take up their case on their behalf.”
The case Welch referred to involved failings in care for a ●
terminally ill 86-year-old rest home resident, including about 15 maggots hatching in his wounds.
Welch said Grey Power’s health portfolio holder heard about similar cases “on a regular basis”, and that underlined the need for an Aged Care Commissioner. That was Labour policy going into the election but has not been acted upon.
Changes published yesterday in the Government Gazette included clarifying that monitoring of people detained in privately run aged-care facilities is the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman.
“Places of detention”, including psychiatric units and jails, are subject to independent monitoring under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture framework.
Boshier said it will take about 12 months for random inspections to start. After planning his office will seek funding from Parliament.
“We look to see whether some people have been restrained in tiedown chairs, and whether there are adequate records.”
Justice Minister Andrew Little said there had been cases where rest home care was “way below par”.
“And we know there are aged-care residents with dementia who have been able to leave the facility and put themselves in danger. And that is just not right.”