Inquiry condemns disabled man’s care

A man with severe intellectual and physical disabilities in the care of IDEA Services was found to have a surgical glove in his bowel after a suspected sexual assault.

The Health and Disability Commission has published a damning finding into the care of the man, leading IDEA Services to apologise unreservedly to the man and his family and to make a number of changes in how it cares for others like him.

The man, who was in his 20s, was extremely vulnerable and needed a very high level of support. He has intellectual, physical and developmental impairments, and had been in IDEA Services residential services between 2013 and 2015.

He was housed in a flat, at an unidentified location, with another man who was intellectually disabled.

In the two years they lived together, there were numerous incidents involving the other man exposing himself to the victim, as well as physically assaulting him. After a violent assault in January 2015, that left him bruised, bloodied and traumatised, the victim was removed from the flat.

Two months later, he became acutely unwell and was rushed to hospital by ambulance.

Surgeons found an infection that had been caused by a plastic surgical glove in his bowel.

An independent review by IDEA Services could not determine who inserted the glove, or when or where it was inserted, but concluded it was most likely inserted as a result of a sexual assault.

After he was removed to another location in mid-2015 the man suffered burns after a staff member’s hot drink was left within his reach and spilled on him. After that, his mother removed him from IDEA’s care and he now lives with her.

The mother complained to the Health and Disability Commission. In a recently-released report, deputy commissioner Rose Wall found the care provided to the man ‘‘fell short of the accepted standard’’.

IDEA Services failed to identify risks and put prevention strategies in place, failed to ensure sufficiently trained staff were on duty at all times and had placed the man with a man who exhibited inappropriate behaviour towards him.

Under a service agreement IDEA Services had with the Ministry of Health, the man was supposed to have received support for 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But the two men were often cared for by just one staff member between them.

Wall said she was ‘‘very critical’’ that IDEA Services had not put processes in place to ensure there were sufficient staff on duty at all times.

After the glove was removed from the man’s bowel, a doctor said it was unlikely to have been swallowed. The doctor could not say how long it had been there, and the man was unable to tell anyone.

An independent review could not determine who was responsible, but said the glove was most likely inserted by a third party in a sexual assault. Wall was unable to make a factual finding on how or when the glove was inserted.

Wall recommended an independent review of the effectiveness of changes made in light of events highlighted in the case, and to ensure plans for each client in the organisation’s care in the man’s regional location were reviewed and up to date.

If that review found deficiencies, the commission wanted IDEA Services to extend it to a random audit of clients in its residential care facilities throughout New Zealand.

Wall also recommended that IDEA Services apologise to the man and his family.

IDEA Services acting chief executive Donna Mitchell said the organisation had apologised unreservedly.

‘‘We failed in our duty of care to the person and his family.

‘‘We deeply regret the incidents, which fell short of the service and standards that our staff provide across the country every day.

‘‘It simply was not good enough in this instance.’’

Health Ministry group manager of disability support services Toni Atkinson said the agency was ‘‘very sorry this happened, and we acknowledge this was distressing for the person concerned, and their family’’. ‘‘This isn’t the quality of support the ministry expects of a provider.’’