Many times I have written about human rights in aged and dementia care as listed in the related articles below. There are many who agree with me, and then others who think I am too harsh on an industry doing its best to care for people with dementia, with low wages and limited funding to provide appropriate services.
To say I am thrilled Ita Buttrose has spoken so publicly about the lack of human rights in aged and dementia care, and the abuse of physical or pharmacological restraints is music to my ears, not only affirmation of what I have been saying and believe, but someone with a high public profile willing to take the risk of the public attack.
It is fair to say that a significant percentage the aged care sector – community, respite and residential care – is trying to do the right thing, but ultimately, we have to question why are people being involuntarily restrained either in secure locked units, or with physical or pharmacological restraints. This is being done, without the same stringent sanctioning guidelines required in the mental health sector.
People with dementia are not criminals. They have not done anything wrong or broken the law. They are diagnosed with dementia: an incurable terminal cognitive disease. (Kate Swaffer © 2013)
The 2013 Australian Of The Year Ita Buttrose addresses the National Press Club on the topic ‘The society I want to live in’. Please watch this video of her address: National Press Club: Ita Buttrose Read the full transcript of Ms Buttrose’s address here
Following her address to the National Press Club, Linda Belardi wrote Buttrose decries aged care standards, published on Wed, 01/05/2013, 05:24:04.
“Alzheimer’s Australia national president, Ita Buttrose has given a scathing speech to the National Press Club decrying the quality of residential aged care standards for people with dementia. In the hour-long address, Buttrose said basic human rights violations and examples of discrimination were occurring every day and the majority of facilities were failing to properly care for people with dementia…” Read the full article here
Related articles:
- Dementia and human rights
- Locked in prison
- The human cattle yards for dementia and aged care
- Heading to aged care
- Human Rights, dementia and the elderly
- Dementia = social inequality
- Dementia, aged care, death and drugs
Can someone please tell me what Ita Buttrose is doing…the raise awareness of dementia? I have not heard or seen her since she became Aust of the year!
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I know she is very busy, including lots of overseas work trips…
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Kate – you haven’t mentioned the behavioural problems that some with dementia can have. Some people with dementia have severe behavioural problems that require either medication or restraint to help both themselves and others around them. For example some will have violent behaviour, some will have sexually aggressive behaviour (wanting to have sex with anybody around them etc) some will have chronic hunger and be doing anything to eat, including getting up in the middle of the night and ‘raiding’ all the cupboards and fridges, some might just sit in silence and look ahead, robbed of any emotion ….. etc.
It’s just that dementia affects the limbic part of the brain, and that governs emotions and behaviour, so some people might just end up with behavioural issues that are difficult to control. Difficult withouth 1 on 1 care and even then it wouldn’t be able to be controlled all the time.
So for the safety of everyone, including the carer, a sedative is probably going to be administered to this type of patient.
No, they’re not criminals. They haven’t intentionally misbehaved. But because it’s something that’s out of their control it doesn’t mean that we should let them keep behaving the way that they are. But unless each patient has $60,000 to pay for a carer that’s 1-on-1 then there’s no other way to go.
That’s reality. And reality stinks. But there’s only so much that can be done.
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I agree reality stinks… but I also believe with more appropriate care, many behavioural problems would disappear. Not all, but so often difficult behaviour is the only way a person can communicate. Having worked in dementia care, I have seen the reality, and also know it will be very difficult to fix! As always, it comes back to money…
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Dear Kate…….Ita Buttrose is certainly the person to have as the face of Alzheimers Australia……no wonder the late Kerry Packer admired her……and Australian of the Year too….
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I saw her present this it was great watching and hopefully with her and your constant campaigning chages will occur
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