Eventide Homes (NSW) Retirement Elder Abuse - Procedure  

This Procedure is the current procedure of Eventide Homes (NSW) and may be varied or set aside at any time by the company

Date: 25/01/21 Issue #: 1

Description

Eventide has guidelines for all employees regarding retirement Village Elder Abuse.

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to explain the procedures relating to retirement Village Elder Abuse (ref Reg 2017 3A part 2(10).

Scope

The following guidelines shall be adhered to by all managers, supervisors and employees.

Policy

Elder Abuse or ill treatment of residents is unacceptable and will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Eventide Homes (NSW) will take all appropriate actions to safeguard residents from ill treatment abuse for the duration of their residence.

Definitions

Elder Abuse has been defined by the World Health Organisation as ‘a single or repeated act of harm, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person’.

Elder abuse can take various forms, including: financial, physical, psychological, emotional and sexual abuse, or neglect. Abuse may be intentional or unintentional. No older person should be subjected to any form of abuse.

Abuse is a serious crime and contravenes basic human rights.

Forms of Elder Abuse

Psychological (Emotional) Abuse

Behaviour that causes mental or emotional suffering, isolation, fear of violence, deprivation and feelings of shame and powerlessness. Examples include demeaning, name‐calling, treating the resident as if they were a child and I or insulting, frightening, humiliating, intimidating, threatening or isolating them.

Physical Abuse

The infliction of physical pain, injury or force including sexual assault. Examples include physical acts such as hitting, slapping, punching, pushing, burning, restraint, and misuse of medications. Physical indicators may include bruising, lacerations, abrasions, burns, sprains, dislocations, fractures, hair loss and pressure injury.

Sexual Abuse

A range of sexual acts where the victim’s informed consent has not been obtained, where the person does not have the mental or physical capacity to provide consent, or where consent has been obtained through coercion or deceit. Sexual abuse may also include inappropriate touching that causes a person to feel violated or distressed. Indicators of sexual abuse may include trauma to the genital area, rectum or mouth, the presence of sexually transmitted infections, human bite marks, and anxiety around the perpetrator.

Financial Abuse

The illegal or improper use of a resident’s property, finances and other assets without the informed consent of that person. This includes misuse of power of attorney, forcing or coercing an older person to change their will, unexplained disappearance of possessions, and lack of funds for food, clothing or other essential means of living.

Neglect

The failure to provide or allow others to provide an older person with the basic necessities of life, including inadequate food, shelter, clothing, medical, personal care or dental care. Neglect may also involve the refusal to permit others to provide appropriate care of the older person. Indicators of neglect may include dehydration, malnutrition, poor skin integrity, inappropriate clothing, poor hygiene, unkempt appearance, and/or absence of required aids.

Social abuse

Including preventing an older person from having social contact with friends or family or access to social activities. It includes restricting support from friends and family members, restricting telephone use, screening calls, preventing the older person from socialising or meeting with neighbours and leading the older person to believe erroneously that their friends or family are interfering.

Risk Factors

Abuse can happen to anyone. However, there are a number of known factors that may increase a person’s vulnerability to abuse including:

• Social isolation
• Cognitive decline or impairment
• Having multiple chronic comorbidities, in particular depression and dementia
• Reliance on others for care
• A history of trauma
• Being female
• Poor financial literacy
• A history of family conflict or domestic violence
• Language and cultural barriers.

The complex and often dynamic environment in which abuse occurs, including interplay of individual, interpersonal, community and social factors, make it difficult to identify and determine all factors associated with the abuse of older people. There is no single type of older person who is at risk, and no single type of person who may cause harm.

Reporting of Elder Abuse

All Eventide Homes (NSW) company members, board members, staff and contract partners acting on behalf of Eventide Homes (NSW) have a duty and responsibility to take reasonable care to prevent a resident from being abused. It is important that we all consider consent, capacity, confidentiality, and reporting obligations when determining the appropriate response and support for older people who are being abused.

The internal reporting of any acts of abuse is compulsory, whereby the following procedure shall be followed:

Procedure

1. Assess the situation, if anyone is deemed to be in immediate danger ring 000
   
   
2. Immediately inform the Village manager of abuse or suspicion of abuse and in consultation with the manager, should the behaviour be deemed as elder abuse contact the NSW Elder Abuse Helpline and Resource Unit (EAHRU) for advice on 1800 628 221  www.elderabusehelpline.com.au

This organisation will provide best practice support, referral, and notify the police in a timely manner (within 24 hours)

Reportable Assaults can include:

• The abusive situation results in personal injury being inflicted on a victim; and/or
• The perpetrator is carrying a weapon, such as a knife or gun, and is behaving in a manner that is threatening and likely to cause harm or reasonable fear to a person.

3. The Village Manager shall record all details of the incident in the residents file. including the provision of a factual account of their concerns recording the specific words the resident used, and details such as who was present, the date and time of the abuse, what actions were observed and/or heard. Record if Emergency Services were called.

4. All suspected or witnessed cases of abuse must then also be immediately reported to the Board Member responsible for dealing with Elder abuse (see attachment 1) who will with the Village Manager implement the counsel received from the Elder Abuse Helpline and Resource Unit, and will conduct further assessment of the situation, in consultation with the reporting person, the resident and / or their support representative (providing they are not the suspected abuser and the resident has given permission to contact such a person).

The interest, safety and protection of the resident victim shall take precedent over those of the victim's family or other members of the community.

The resident will be encouraged to make their decisions based on information about all relevant intervention options available to them to address the situation of abuse.

5. Mandatory Reporting

Incidents involving physical and or sexual assault, theft or fraud are criminal offences and the Village Management and staff must ensure that all residents understand the seriousness of these crimes and of the need to protect the rights of residents. All such incidents shall immediately be reported to the police

6. Additional Information and Cautions

Appropriate support and assistance from Eventide Homes (NSW) resources and external agencies shall be provided to residents who have experienced abuse. This may include intervention by the police, advocacy agencies, the Elder Abuse Hotline, counselling organisations, the guardianship tribunal and other relevant bodies during investigations into alleged client abuse.

7. Training

Village Management, staff will receive information on the identification and management of resident elder abuse situations as part of ongoing training and education.

See Appendix A for flow chart of elder abuse response process.

Residents Rights

The right of the resident to nominate an advocate to represent their interests in any abuse assessment or intervention shall be respected. In the instance where a resident may have diminished capacity and has no nominated substitute decision maker (it may be prudent) to seek guardianship through the Office of The Public Trustee and Guardian

Disciplinary Action

Failure of Village management and staff to respond to suspected or witnessed resident abuse will be considered negligence and legal liability and employee dismissal may apply if injury or damage is caused by this negligence.

Legislation and Resources

Legislation listed is not exhaustive and Acts and Amendments are as legislated on the day this policy was authorised.

Retirement Villages Act 1999 (NSW)

Retirement Villages Amendment (Rules of Conduct for Operators) Regulation 2019 [NSW]

Schedule 1 Amendment of Retirement Villages Regulation 2017

NSW Elder Abuse Toolkit: www.elderabusehelpline.com.au/for‐professionals/EAHRU‐toolkit

Board Member responsible for Elder Abuse Support

Ms J Ackland

Eventide Homes (NSW)

967 Henry Lawson Drive Padstow Heights NSW 2211 Phone: (02) 9773 9646