‘Granny dumping’ on the rise
Elderly people are being dumped at hospital emergency departments by relatives as some head off on holidays, while others are unable to cope with the pressures of being full-time carers.
A Sydney Morning Herald article yesterday (Sunday, 22 May 2011), reported how ‘granny dumping’ is increasing and is a big concern to emergency staff who are frustrated by the “added burden” of frail aged patients who “arrive at their doorstep” at Christmas, Easter and long weekends.
The article stated hospitals are under additional strain of so called ‘granny-dumpers, describing it as “no different to dropping your dog off at a boarding kennel”.
The term ‘granny dumping’ was coined in the US during the mid-1990s.
Dr Paoloni, NSW faculty chairman of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, said he has been a first-hand witness to the ‘granny dumping’ phenomenon at his own hospital.
“People bring elderly relatives into emergency, disappear off and then make themselves uncontactable,” Dr Paoloni said.
“This impacts on the hospital because that elderly person has to stay in an acute bed until their family returns, which can be many days. That’s a vital bed being used by someone who isn’t unwell and who should really be in a nursing home environment,” he added.
The Elder Abuse Prevention Association called for an inquiry into ‘granny dumping’, describing it as ”a common phenomenon nationally”.
While no detailed research has been made into the phenomenon, the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine’s, Dr David Eddey, estimated in 2009 that 76 elderly people were being dumped outside Victoria’s 38 public emergency wards each year.
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2009 survey –
More than 2.6 million carers nationally provide unpaid support to family members with a disability, mental illness, chronic condition, terminal illness or who were old and frail. More than 770,000 of these were primary carers.
On average carers spent about 40 hours a week providing support. With mental illness, the average increased to 104 hours a week.
What are your thoughts on the ‘granny dumping’ phenomenon?
