The sinister side of aged care

Aged care lobbyists are reportedly alarmed after recent figures show assault allegations in aged care homes have doubled in the past four years.

Figures from the 2010-11 Report on the Operation of the Aged Care Act reveals 1,815 alleged assaults in aged care, with 1,499 of those recorded as alleged unreasonable use of force and 284 as alleged unlawful sexual contact.

The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) reports aged care lobbyists as saying the figures are a “sign of a system under immense pressure”.

Given the majority of Australian residential aged care facilities as being fully accredited, founder of the industry watchdog Aged Care Crisis, Lynda Saltarelli, tells SMH the numbers are “shocking”.

“It does raise questions about quality of care when a home can be fully accredited and have a perfect score, and yet there is this very high level of alleged assaults,” Ms Saltarelli says.

In 2009-10, there were 1,488 alleged reportable assaults, with the 2010-11 figure representing a 20% increase.

Safety in aged care was an issue raised in the report, with figures revealing 817 reports of missing residents, reportedly up from 745 the previous year.

The Complaints Investigation Scheme, a government body responsible for handling concerns of staff, residents and their families, received about 20% of complaints about infection control, clinical care and personal hygiene.

The report shows the Complaints Investigation Scheme found 1,148 cases in which an approved provider breached its responsibilities under the Aged Care Act.

“The public have a right to know what is going on inside which facilities and at the moment, they don’t,” Ms Saltarelli tells SMH.

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