A TIRED, OLD ARGUMENT

How many times does it have to be said? The only difference between old people and us is that they got there first. Yet again we have a case of a nursing home being derelict in its treatment of its elderly residents. Horror stories about people being so underfed, or having their feeding habits ignored, that they have lost half their body weight.

This time it is the Kirralee Residential Aged Care centre in East Ballarat. Two of the elderly residents weigh less than 25 kilos. One severely dehydrated resident was admitted to Ballarat Hospital about a month ago and died.

The Federal Aged Care Minister Justine Elliott says the situation is unacceptable. That residents are at ‘serious risk’ and that she is referring the case to Police to see if criminal charges are warranted.

A snap inspection at the 100-bed facility ten days ago and subsequent checks showed the home failed 33 of 44 basic standards. That mean they achieved a positive rating in only 25%. And those failures included problems with nutrition, hydration, clinical care and pain management.

There are two major worries here that make any action more than urgent.  The Kirralee home is run by a group known as the Aged Care Services Australia Group which operates more than thirty nursing homes in Melbourne and across Victoria.

If they are lacking in one why should it be assumed that all their other projects are above board?  Maybe if the Minister had the clout to threaten their other cash cows, companies might pay more attention.

The other issue is this: In 2006 management at Kirralee were ordered to develop an action plan to record resident’s weight. Did that happen? They were also ordered to improve palliative care and communications with residents’ families.

Despite this, Kirralee was accredited until April next year.

There have been numerous complaints about the quality and quantity of food in a number of homes recently. Complaints that residents were getting things like cheap party pies for dinner.

But go back to Kirralee’s appalling track record. Look at those problems with ‘nutrition, hydration, clinical care and pain management.’ Break that down to the quality of life in these people’s twilight years and it means they are not getting enough food or the right food. They are not getting enough liquids. They are not getting the right medical treatment and they are in pain.

I realise that nursing homes are big business now and I don’t blame the staff who do the best they can with the resources and facilities they’ve got. They’re certainly not doing it for the money.

But I wonder if the shareholders have parents who may be in, or may soon be in, similar situations. And I wonder if those shareholders, as they take their profits, even think that one day they could be as vulnerable and as desperately in need.

Don’t they understand that the only difference between old people and us is that they got there first?

© Copyright Derryn Hinch 2008