The safety of seniors staying in aged care facilities has been a big issue in Australia as of late and this has prompted the need for more (and better) policies to protect them.

Recently, it was reported that a 51-year-old aged care worker allegedly ran up a debt of over $23,000, taking advantage of an 81-year-old pensioner with dementia who was residing in an aged care facility.

It was said that the elderly woman was residing in a facility in Yass, NSW, for over a year, which allegedly resulted in a debt of over $23,000 being accumulated through the use of her debit card in NSW and the ACT over 12 months.

The incident was said to have been reported by the facility to the authorities, leading to the woman's arrest.

An aged care facility worker was accused of robbing $23,000 from an 81-year-old dementia patient by using her debit card for a year. Credit: Pexels/Matthias Zomer.

It was reported that the 51-year-old was arrested at 7:15 pm on Wednesday at Yass Police Station and charged with dishonestly obtaining property by deception. She was given a strict conditional bail, which requires her to attend Yass Local Court on the 16th of this month.

The alleged incident has cast a dark shadow over the aged care sector and poses another reminder of the many challenges of the industry in the country.

As the population of seniors in the country steadily increases, more care facilities are popping up to cater to the needs of older Australians.

A recently released preliminary report showed that 10 per cent of Australia's aged care facilities are failing seniors in their care. This has prompted the public and authorities alike to demand better care for older Australians, especially in a sector that is largely underpaid.

Additionally, the government’s five-star rating system, which was made as one of the key recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, evaluated 2671 aged care facilities across Australia on a variety of factors, such as staffing levels, food quality, experiences of the residents, complaints, and incidences of serious harm.

It was found that only about one per cent of the homes received a five-star rating. In contrast, almost 60 per cent received a three-star rating, nine per cent received a two-star rating, and nearly one per cent received a one-star rating.

Key Takeaways

• A 51-year-old woman has been charged with allegedly defrauding an elderly woman with dementia out of more than $20,000 while the victim was residing at an aged care facility.
• The alleged incident took place in the town of Yass, located in the Southern Tablelands region of NSW.
• It was reported that the 81-year-old woman lost her savings during her 12-month stay at the facility.
• The alleged incident is another reminder of the many challenges facing the aged care sector here in Australia.

While the ratings and facilities have not been made public yet, there are plans to make the report accessible by around late December on the federal government’s website myagedcare.gov.au.

What are your thoughts, folks? Should the woman be criminally charged considering her position as a care provider? Better yet, do you think the government should publicise the list of facilities and their ratings? Let us know in the comments below!

 

[Ricci]

May I suggest that for everyone in the care of others - never have any money or jewellery around. If anything at all -these items are bait for theft by the employees caring for them.
And also, if you are planning for a deceased one, remove ALL jewellery and items of precious possession from the body. The dead is not planning to take it with them , only the hospital employees, morgue handlers, cremation employees, etc. Even in burial, remove all jewellery and bits and pieces and only bury the body in an outfit.
When my mother was in a coma in hospital, she had her precious rosary with her but it was unaccounted for when the body was removed from the bed. At that point in time, its too late. You are overcome with grief and funeral arrangements, and something small like that would easily be overlooked by family members. and tis too late to accuse anyone.
The funeral director also advised my sister to make sure that all jewellery is removed from her body before they remove her body.

That's all well and good if you know someone is going to die or is near the end. When it happens unexpectedly or without warning you have no chance. My mother was in care for over 5 years, I was not going to deny her the things that brought her comfort and joy for that period of time. Her jewellery was her link to family.