Editorial: Rest homes need regular assessments

OPINION: Rest homes play an important role in society. They provide a haven for the elderly, where they can be looked after and cared for, according to accepted standards.

But every now and again an incident takes place that horrifies the public and throws the spotlight on to rest homes and elderly care.

This week Palmerston North's Rose A Lea Rest Home is in the news over the treatment of one of its patients, a 103-year-old woman who was allegedly tied to her bed with a sheet. There are also allegations that the woman had bed sores on her knees and buttocks, and unchanged bandages were left covered in faeces. She has subsequently died.MidCentral District Health Board began a three-day audit of the rest home after complaints about the restraint and care of the woman and one of the investigating officials says the rest home was so squalid that it would have taken days to clean.

The rest home has now been closed down.

Last year we were similarly sickened by news that a patient at Auckland's Belhaven Rest Home had her mouth taped shut by a worker there.

That incident, and its subsequent publicity, saw a sharp rise in the number of complaints about rest homes. A Ministry of Health investigation saw the rest home closed, a former worker charged with assault and calls for the government to tighten rules regarding aged care.

One of the positives to come out of the Belhaven incident was the move by the Health Ministry to improve rest home auditing procedures and to make the audits publicly available online.

Also cause for concern is news about the doping of difficult dementia patients with anti-psychotic drugs. A caregiver says anti-psychotics are known among rest-home workers as "shut up tablets" or "zombie pills" and are regularly given to patients who play up or act out. The drugs have been linked to an increased stroke risk and morbidity in the elderly.

A British report has found only 20 per cent of dementia sufferers given anti-psychotic drugs gain any benefit from the drugs, and that they lead to 1800 premature deaths every year.

While these issues highlight the wrongs in the rest home industry it is important to remember that thousands of elderly New Zealanders receive excellent care in many rest homes around the country. In fact a letter writer earlier this year referred to Blenheim's Aberleigh Rest Home as a "five star establishment".

There will no doubt be reports in future of elderly abuse at rest homes. These abuses, while deplorable, do bring the issue into the spotlight and hopefully make those who operate rest homes take a good look at their establishments and procedures to see it there is any way they can improve the service they offer.

- The Marlborough Express

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