QUEENSLAND'S Public Advocate Mary Burgess used World Elder Abuse Awareness Day today (June 15) to call on the federal government to end the unregulated use of restraints and other restrictive practices in aged care.
While Ms Burgess acknowledged restraints were sometimes needed to manage challenging behaviour in older people with dementia and mental health issues, however she said they could also be used as a means of coercion, punishment, staff convenience or reprisal.
Ms Burgess today released a paper, Legal frameworks for the use of restrictive practices in residential aged care, which will be sent to federal Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt.
"Excessive and inappropriate use of restraints is an insidious form of elder abuse and can also be devastating for a resident's loved ones, particularly when they only find out after the damage has been done and it's too late to do anything," Ms Burgess said.
"Aged care staff are at serious risk too because they are working in a professional minefield without any clear statutory basis or legal protection when using restraints."
Ms Burgess said this was a national problem that required a national response "to protect aged care residents from abuse and aged care staff from potential criminal charges".
She called for a national framework under the federal Aged Care Act 1997 to regulate restrictive practices and prohibit their use except as a last resort subject to strong safeguards, greater transparency and independent oversight.
"Australia already has a national framework for reducing and eliminating restrictive practices in the disability service sector and there is a pressing need to establish similar protocols for aged care services," Ms Burgess said.
Extra funding announced to support victims
IN VICTORIA today, the state government announced funding of $1.2 million to ensure older people who are the victims of elder abuse have greater access to services and support.
The Integrated Model of Care for Responding to Suspected Elder Abuse follows the Royal Commission into Family Violence, which found that elder abuse tends to be under-reported and often not recognised as a form of family violence.
The model is being deployed at Melbourne Health, Monash Health and Latrobe Community Health Service.
Each health service and its community partners will receive workforce training to better identify and respond to suspected elder abuse, counselling and mediation services to help prevent escalation of abuse, and the appointment of an elder abuse prevention and response liaison officer.
An Elder Abuse Prevention Network will be established in each trial location to develop protocols to better support victims and survivors of abuse and raise awareness.
"This funding will help our dedicated healthcare workers know the signs and how to best refer older Victorians to get support quickly," said Minister for Ageing Martin Foley.
