Give illegal aged care homes 2-year amnesty, say operators

 

Approval of licences for old folks’ homes can take up to a year, says an operators association. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: An association of old folks’ home operators is urging the government to offer amnesty for the next two years to homes that have been operating illegally.

Residential Aged Care Operators Association president Delren Douglas said an amnesty would encourage the centres to comply with the law and acceptable care standards.

He said about 2,000 old folks’ homes or aged care centres were operating without licences because of what he called “cumbersome and bureaucratic processes” involved.

He said licence approvals can take up to a year and renewals six months. “Every five years, licensed centres must submit what is essentially a new application, not just a simple renewal,” he told FMT.

Compounding the problem were different policies by town and city councils towards aged care centres.

His call comes in the wake of a viral video of a caregiver allegedly assaulting a resident of an aged care centre. The centre, which is allegedly unlicensed, is in Padang Serai, Kedah.

Police have arrested the 44-year-old owner of the home and a 36-year-old woman who works as a helper there.

11 centres on Jalan Gasing, only 3 licensed

Delren said during this two-year amnesty, the aged care industry should slowly transition to a self-regulated regimen, with the welfare department keeping a close watch on operations.

He said there was a concentration of aged care homes at Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya, with three of 11 centres there being licensed.

He said the government was also in a bind in terms of taking action on these centres since there were only 11 government-run facilities throughout the country

“These old folks would then be under the responsibility of the government if they were to crack down on the illegally operating centres,” he said.

Delren said requirements of local councils and the fire and rescue department can pose obstacles. He called for the elimination of requirements like neighbours’ consent in zoned areas, which can veto a centre’s operations even if it complies with all other regulations.

Retaliation by staff after complaints

Former Suhakam commissioner James Nayagam suggested outsourcing the management and audit of government-run aged care homes to NGOs staffed by experienced professionals, including retired nurses and doctors.

He supported a call for an industry-led regulating mechanism. “It’s time for the industry to step up and show that it can regulate itself more effectively than intermittent government audits.”

James said another troubling practice in aged care homes was the retaliation against elderly residents whose family members report abuse. He said the staff may further victimise the residents once the relatives leave, silencing many from speaking out.

The abuse goes unchecked due to insufficient monitoring by authorities, he said.

He described the state of many facilities as abysmal. “I’ve seen them all, and the lack of commitment is staggering. There’s a blatant breach of laws,” he said.

However, Delren said abusive staff are usually sacked and unlikely to work in another aged care centre, as registered and licensed members share a database of those who are abusive to residents. - FMT