Rest-home shame: Broken bones, dehydration

New details about complaints made to DHBs show list of failings

A rest-home resident broke a wrist after apparent rough handling by staff and another was left badly dehydrated.

The Weekend Herald has obtained new details about complaints made to DHBs about aged-care facilities — and the most serious involve significant harm to residents.

MidCentral DHB, which stretches from the west to the east coast of the North Island and includes Palmerston North, is the latest health board to detail a number of complaints in 2019.

A member of its own elder health service lodged a complaint in July after becoming concerned about an unexplained fracture of a resident’s wrist, and noted a suggestion the injury happened after a fall from a hoist.

An investigation found “the most likely cause of fracture was due to incorrect handling techniques”. Changes made since include staff training about how to safely move and transfer residents.

The DHB wouldn’t name facilities that were subject to complaints, even in cases where problems were confirmed. It said doing so could lead to residents and their families being identified.

Its 2019 complaints include:

● A failure to provide medical care for a resident in respite care, with incomplete documentation and planning. The complaint was substantiated, and improvements ordered.

● A visiting DHB staffer was concerned about residents sitting around with nothing to do, with staff hardly interacting with them and no activities. The rest home subsequently “reviewed and improved its service”.

● A complaint was made by another DHB staff member about a facility. They were worried about a lack of effort to prevent falls, helping residents with pain and not noticing when residents’ health went downhill. Some aspects of the complaint were confirmed.

● A woman complained about her husband’s care, “including dehydration and general safety”. After an investigation, the facility made changes.

Last month, the Herald on Sunday revealed complaints from other areas of the country, including that a caregiver allegedly put her hands around the throat of a frail patient and threatened to slap another. A woman was left on the floor overnight after a fall at another facility, and other residents were left soaked in urine.

There are renewed calls for the Government to beef up efforts to protect residents and their families, including through the establishment of an aged-care commissioner, which Labour and the Green Party campaigned on, but have failed to take action on.

Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa received preliminary advice from officials about such a move more than a year ago. That was still under consideration, she said, and changes were being made to better protect rest-home residents.

Mandatory standards were being reviewed, an “opportunity to make changes to better reflect contemporary practices including in the areas of staffing, consumer rights and complaints”.

Simon Wallace, chief executive of the NZ Aged Care Association, said poor care was never condoned, but when instances did happen a robust complaints process was in place — first to the facility itself, then if necessary to the DHB or Ministry of Health, and finally to the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC).

The association represents providers accounting for more than 90 per cent of the sector and about 36,000 beds and was working with the ministry to raise awareness of the process, which it saw as a way to improve services, Wallace said. There were also rigorous audit and reporting requirements.

The NZ Aged Care Association doesn’t believe an aged-care commissioner is needed, saying it would effectively replace the HDC.

Grey Power has said its members are deeply disappointed a new watchdog hasn’t been set up.