Abuse in nursing homes – a pressing issue

 

From Hema Krishnan

I am affected by a rare genetic disease known as Wilson’s Disease. As the symptoms manifested when I was 19-years-old, I became a wheelchair user.

My mother is the one who cares for me. I work full-time as a content writer for a fully remote for-profit social enterprise.

In November 2022, my mother underwent cataract surgery and was unable to care for me. So, we went to stay at a care facility while waiting for my mother’s eye to heal.

The care facility housed mostly senior citizens. Other residents included a mentally- and physically-challenged girl. However, I noticed that the staff at the nursing home are physically and verbally abusive.

The nurses are especially abusive to those residents who are physically incapacitated and suffering from dementia. I witnessed horrific abuse meted out on the most helpless of people, including the mentally-challenged girl.

During my stay there, I fell down twice due to the staff’s negligence, and their lack of caretaking skills. But that wasn’t the worst of it.

Once, the on-duty staff was on the phone when I needed to go to the bathroom, and she didn’t come despite being called many times. I complained to the owner about her staff’s incompetence and laziness.

As a result, the staff picked a fight with my mother as to why we complained.

At another time, an old lady fell from her bed and was screaming from morning until noon and the nurses did nothing. I had a virtual meeting and the lady’s screams affected my work.

Again, I complained to the owner. And again, the staff fought with my mother and me – they didn’t like me complaining to the owner.

The nurses knew that they can’t abuse me like they do the other residents, so they sabotaged me in other ways.

One day, when it was way past teatime and tea had still not been served, my mother asked for tea. The nurses grudgingly parted with their phones and went to the kitchen. When the tea came, it was sugarless.

When my mother questioned them, they resorted to shouting and lying. I recorded the scene they created, sent the footage to the owner, and mentioned that I will go to the police because bullying is against the law in Malaysia. To my dismay, the owner supported her staff.

Apparently, “they have too much work”.

That was the last straw and my mother and I left the place the next day. We were supposed to stay for a month but we left within two weeks. The abuse I saw and the staff’s bloody-minded behaviour gave me mental trauma.

Old folks who are healthy when they are placed at that nursing home eventually develop mobility impairment issues due to the treatment they receive.

I urge the authorities to look into the management of nursing homes, because those with abusive staff should neither be condoned nor allowed to operate. - FMT

Hema Krishnan is an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.