Comments on: Allegations on Aged Care Abuse – Malicious and Incorrect

By: NearlyLeft

NearlyLeft — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 03:52:37 +0000

I think the NSWNA’s campaign for ” Because We Care ” ( in Aged Care ) will go a long way with winning the support of not only the families of residents, but the politicians ( well, some of them at least !! ), as well as the general Public.

I was very impressed with the NSWNA recently, whilst attending the Annular Conference as my workplace Delegate.

I was never really much of a ‘ union man ‘ until recently, when I took up the role of local Branch Secretary & Delegate to the Council ( which meant, I attended the Conference on behalf on my Members at work ).

The NSWNA are really putting a lot of energy into the Because We Care campaign, and I think the entire Aged Care sector will benefit from the actions the Association is taking.

The NSWNA is also a Member organisation of Unions NSW, and I welcome the support given to not only the Aged Care Sector, but towards all Nurses, in all workplaces.

I’ll be there this afternoon, at Warilla Bowls Club for the 17:30hrs. meeting, wearing my NSWNA rugby jumper I picked from the Conference !!

regards,

By: Renee

Renee — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 11:13:32 +0000

While I fully agree with what has been said here, I have to say that there are some not so good staff out there. Just yesterday I was reading in the Nurses & Midwives Board mag about an aged care nurse who’s behaviour and actions not only led to the said nurse facing criminal charges for assult but being removed from the registrar.In saying that there are quite frankly crap nurses everywhere and the public flogging given to aged care in the media is very sad. I bet their are patients in homes everywhere who’s careers are now going to have to earn the trust and repect of the residents families all over again.

By: jockeyd71

jockeyd71 — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 08:05:19 +0000

After reading this I had to go back to the original article in the daily Telegraph. Knowing the fantastic work most aged care facility staff do much of it in their own time I would take great umbridge if it attacked them as said above. Reading the original article clearly it does not make these allegations in the manner that is given on this site. The original article is quite sensitive although misguided and ill informed. The follow up articles are clearly quite sensational and reasonable to complain about.
I have an issue with reporters acting as volunteers by their nature of their role they are breaching the person rights to privacy. I do not think I would allow a reporter in to my home for a night to detail everything that happens in my home let alone over 3 months. The reported conversations of nurses is as said quite out of context and I think nurses need to make a point of complaining about this to the original reporter and newspaper. We also need to complain to those who followed up the story.
I fail to see any problems with volunteers feeding residents and wonder why it is against policy unless the person has dysphagia or something that specifically impairs their swallow. I volunteered at a Nursing Home at school from the age of 13-16 year old and fed Nursing Home patients it certainly did not harm anybody. i have also trained family members to feed families of people with dysphagia in hospital. I am yet to see any evidence that it does the person harm but there is evidence to show that it does ad value and meaning to their existence.
Keep the passion.

As stated the reporting is a bit fantastic and to think yellow toe nails in an elderly dying patient is an issue is all a bit silly and some other comments are clearly ill informed.
However overall the original story does not accuse nurse of providing poor care apart from on nurse. She may not even be a nurse and a domestic staff.

By: NearlyLeft

NearlyLeft — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 02:04:50 +0000

I’m an RN ( male ) in charge of night shift at a 100 – 150 bed facility.

I’ve never encountered anything that could be considered as ‘ abuse ‘ by the care staff. These people ( mostly women ) have an empathy for the residents, that I think is far greater, that attributed to nurses working with patients in a Public Hospital. Their combined knowledge of the residents is also an asset to myself, in order to make the best decisions on night shift.

I agree with the CM above, who states that sometimes food may be a little cold at times, but so is the Public Hospital’s ( and the Private’s for that matter ).

Our catering section tries to take into account, if a resident is likely to take some time to eat. No point in supplying food that will deteriorate quickly.

In general, a facility should fully identify any volunteer that is either ‘ sent ‘ or personally volunteers at an Aged Care Facility. Too many opportunities for the alternate agenda.

Keep up the good work, all working in Aged Care.
regards,

By: Bernhard

Bernhard — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 11:07:28 +0000

Fully agree with the comments above. The person complaining is a negligent fool. They should have answered the problems by direct involvement, not deliberately go about listing items for her article. I can walk through any hospital and list the spillages near water/ice machines or in tea-making areas (wen I should be making the area safe and alerting the staff). There are too many more important items to address for many nursing home (or even hospital) nurses, without using the ‘fine tooth comb’ approach.
This person should be listed as a ‘do not employ’ person, as they are the same persons who will on their next visit spill a cup of water on the floor, then wait till a staff member approaches and quickly ‘slip’ (accidentally of course) and make either a workers compensation claim, or an injury claim.
Take her out back and beat her to a pulp! Total nuisance!

But, many nursing homes and also hospitals DO have people who are responsible for the problems mentioned…..Taking too long to get to feeding the patients ( and if this occurs, why doesn’t the facility hire extra staff for meal times?).
Hiding information is common eveywhere, but for a reason. At the hospital I work, we have had the critically injured patient’s priest come in to intensive care to see the patient. We get suspicious when a family that is very abusive, antisocial, aggresive etc, gets a ‘priest’ – and blocked him. He ended up being a newspaper reporter. Often we have ‘calls’ from a brother ( who is most likely really another reporter! Or the relative who came to the bedside, asked the nurses a few questions, and not only did the full conversation, but also a video of the conversation and the surrounding patients (showing faces) get on that night’s channel 9 news.
You can’t trust anyone today, and relatives have to accept that. Only the immediate relative should be given news, and everyone else gets told to speak to that relative. In a 10 hour shift we would be spending 8 hours answering the same questions to a bunch of idiots who are all standing in the same room, taking turns to ring us. They are just trying to kill the patient, as if we answered the calls, the patient would die!

As for a stigma, don’t worry about it. This woman will get older, and then will get the care she loves from the aged care facility she goes to! She’ll get what she deserves.
Get on with your life and care, give the best and it reflects back from the families.