This video caused a furore in Singapore when it was first screened on Channel 8 news Thursday night. After conducting an investigation of the nursing home in question, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has issued an order for the home to stop admitting new residents.
Outraged citizens have expressed shock and disgust at the abusive treatment meted out to the 75-year old woman in the video. According to the news report, the woman was made to sit naked for 30 minutes under the full blast of a ceiling fan, and then flung onto her bed. When she groaned, one of the caregivers slapped her on the mouth.
Since the news broke, people with elderly parents at the home have come forward to relate similar incidents. Obviously this is not an isolated case.
Close-circuit cameras at a nursing home to monitor the staff and ensure all's well. (Source: Straits Times 11 June) |
This is not meant to defend errant caregivers, but rather, to place the onus on nursing home operators to ensure better supervision of their staff. For one, they should adopt MOH's guidelines on staff-resident ratio to ensure that the staff are not overworked and taking it out on the residents. This ratio varies depending on the category of residents:
Category One: physically and mentally independent residents who require less attention. Ratio of staff to residents is 1:30.
Category Two: semi-mobile residents who require some assistance with daily activities. Ratio is 1:8.
Category Three: wheelchair bound or bedridden residents who may have mental sickness. Ratio is 1:4.
Category Four: fully dependent residents who have mental or behavourial problems and are unable to cope with daily living on their own. Ratio is 1:2.
Lunch time at one of the better managed nursing homes I have visited. |
One of the many privately-run homes in Petaling Jaya. |
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