Ministry wants answers after claims of neglect

I was crying for help. Anna, “critically unwell” woman

Allegations of neglect in a home for the disabled involving a “critically unwell” woman blindsided Whaikaha, the Ministry of Disabled People, which wants an explanation.

And deputy chief executive of operational design and delivery, Amanda Bleckmann, confirmed the ministry was considering an investigation into the care of Anna Mills by IDEA Services, after the Herald revealed the allegations last week.

Anna, 38, was found severely underweight, malnourished and dehydrated at an IDEA residentialcare home in Gisborne six months ago, her sister Sarah-Jane Mills says.

Mills claimed her sister was 35kg and not eating, unable to sit up, and lying in her own urine and faeces.

Her concerns turned to alarm when Anna told her on the phone she was going to be with their mother who died 17 years ago with the same progressive muscle-wasting condition Anna was born with — myotonic dystrophy.

Mills took over care of Anna and eventually removed her from the service, relocating her to Mills’ home in Pirongia, near Hamilton.

Anna has since put on 18kg, is no longer incontinent and can toilet herself, is no longer having trouble swallowing and can eat whole food, is not taking anti-depressants anymore, and is happy.

“I was crying for help and nobody would even come and check on me,” Anna told NZME.

Mills has now complained to the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC), the Human Rights Commission and the Chief Ombudsman.

IDEA Services said it could not respond to the allegations while the case was before the HDC.

“We cannot comment about an individual case, but work with all relevant agencies involved [including HDC] to support the process,” the spokesperson said.

Bleckmann said Whaikaha took the allegations “extremely seriously”.

“We were very concerned to learn of these allegations regarding Anna’s care through the media,” she said.

“Whaikaha expects disability providers to report any instances or allegations of neglect to us. In this case, we did not receive a notification from IDEA Services . . . We are urgently seeking more information from IDEA Services to understand what has happened here.”

Whaikaha was liaising with the HDC and Human Rights Commission.

Bleckmann said the ministry, launched in July, appreciated the situation “must be very distressing for Anna and her whānau”.

Bleckmann said Whaikaha was also concerned with “issues a number of families have raised with us in relation to IDEA Services. We have raised these matters with IDEA Services at the highest levels.”

Mills did not blame caregivers and said when she tried to question managers about Anna’s condition in the weeks before she went to her aid, her concerns were downplayed. She said in the past the family had been wary of making complaints for fear of being asked to remove Anna from care.

Whaikaha said a strong complaints process was essential to providing services that were safe, responsive, and where providers could respond to problems swiftly.

“Under the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights, consumers have a right to complain, and health and disability services providers must facilitate the fair, simple, speedy, and efficient resolution of complaints.

“We expect a strong complaints process from IDEA Services. We expect to see services delivered to people in their care in a safe and appropriately managed way.”

Bleckmann said annual discussions were under way with IDEA Services over its contract.

IDEA Services, a subsidiary of IHC, received $315 million in government funding for the financial year to June 2022.

“We have raised a number of issues with IDEA Services as part of those contractual discussions, including their complaints processes, and their bathing policy,” Bleckmann said.

Asked whether Whaikaha could revoke the funding, Bleckmann said any change in funding levels had to be managed to “avoid undesirable impacts on those receiving services”.

An IDEA Services spokesperson said the charity had a clear and comprehensive complaints process and it welcomed feedback.

The Office of the Ombudsman confirmed it had received a complaint in the case of Anna.