Nurses sacked after horror games with patients revealed
- The Sunday Telegraph
- March 06, 2011
=============================================
- Photographed patients' genitals for game
- Happened at William Cape Gardens in NSW
NURSES have been sacked from a nursing home for allegedly depriving a dying man of food and photographing residents' genitals in a game called the "Genital Friday Club".
One of the New South Wales' top nursing homes, William Cape Gardens, on the Central Coast, ran an independent investigation into the atrocities before sacking two nurses, allegedly the ringleaders, on February 16.
A third nurse was suspended and has since been reinstated, while a fourth nurse resigned.
The horrific treatment at William Cape includes claims that three nurses told an elderly woman with dementia that her husband was having an affair with her best friend while she was in care.
A whistleblower told The Sunday Telegraph that when food was withheld from an elderly man, the nurse allegedly said: "He was going to die anyway and this way it would make it quicker."
Staff were forced to sign confidentiality agreements over the scandal.
The whistleblower said the "Genital Friday Club" had been going on "for some months and was known of by quite a few members of staff".
A second staff member said at least one nurse took photographs of elderly residents' private parts on an iPhone and asked colleagues to guess who they belonged to.
William Cape's spokesman Tim Allerton, from a public relations firm, said it was unclear how many residents had their genitals photographed in the game.
He said relatives of a female and male resident were given a full explanation and apology, which they accepted.
"In regards to the allegations (that a dying man was starved), we can't really comment on that. We've reported it to police and it's in their hands," he said.
NSW Police and the Federal Department of Health and Ageing have both launched investigations.
A department spokeswoman said it was treating the allegations "very seriously" and a full investigation had been launched by the Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme, with investigators to go to the home tomorrow.
Lynda Saltarelli from the action group, Aged Care Crisis said it was one of the worst cases of abuse at a nursing home she had heard of.
While the home said it was in the process of informing relatives of its residents, families that The Sunday Telegraph spoke to were shocked to learn of the investigations.
Peter Thirgood, whose mother Edna lives in the home, was shocked to hear of the alleged behaviour.
"How disgusting. I know some people are not happy around there," he said.
William Cape's provides care to 121 residents and was a finalist in the Property Council's awards for retirement homes last year.
The allegations come 10 months after The Sunday Telegraph went undercover in two Sydney nursing homes to reveal the routine neglect and abuse of the elderly.
(source:news.com.au)
No comments:
Post a Comment