The tasering of 95-year-old grandmother Clare Nowland, a dementia care patient at Yallambee Lodge in Cooma, southern NSW, earlier this year prompted Australians to swiftly call for answers.

Ms Nowland was reportedly hit with a Taser by Senior Constable Kristian White on May 17 at the facility.

A week after sustaining head injuries, she passed away in the hospital with some of her eight children, 24 grandchildren, and 30 great-grandchildren by her side.

An unannounced assessment conducted by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission at the facility on June 5 revealed shocking details about Yallambee Lodge.

Last month, it was reported that the Yallambee Lodge’s risk management systems and practices were found to be non-compliant.

It was also revealed that a ‘separate incident’ had occurred the same month Ms Nowland had been tasered, which was what sparked the performance audit.

While details were limited, the report classified the incident as a ‘priority one’ matter.

Clare Nowland, 95, who resided at Yallambee Lodge in Cooma, was tased by police. Image source: The Sydney Morning Herald/Alex Ellinghausen

NSW Health explained that a ‘priority one’ indicated the potential for ‘physical or psychological harm and discomfort that would usually require some form of medical or psychological treatment’ and a situation that warranted ‘reasonable grounds to report the incident to police’.

The report said the facility had not finalised its investigation into the incident.

In addition to being ruled as non-compliant, Yallambee Lodge was found to have inadequately reported the matter to the commission.

‘This is evidenced by the provider not meeting mandatory Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) notification and reporting requirements for a Priority 1 notifiable incident occurring in May 2023,’ the report read.

The commission pointed out ‘gaps in the service’s internal incident investigation and reporting in relation to the notifiable incident’.

They separately noted that the facility did not always ‘identify’ and ‘respond’ to reports of abuse and neglect of consumers. It also had areas of concern.

Yallambee Lodge informed the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission that it is undertaking a review and improvement of its services, including care delivery and incident reporting, in response to the audit.

Concurrently, Ms Nowland’s family initiated civil proceedings against the state government following her demise.

In the filed statement of claim, the executor of Ms Nowland’s estate contended that NSW Police behaved unreasonably, attempting to downplay the incident in front of Yallambee Lodge staff.

Constable White, who allegedly fired the taser, is separately facing criminal charges, including recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and common assault in the Local Court related to the incident.

Neither Constable White nor his fellow officer, Sergeant Rachel Pank, are named as defendants in the civil case.

The court document provided a detailed account of the events on the early morning of May 17 when Ms Nowland was tased while holding a knife and using her walking frame.

Constable White has been suspended from the police force with pay, while Sergeant Pank is not facing criminal charges related to the incident.

In their lawsuit, the Nowlands alleged that the taser was discharged in violation of police guidelines and that Sergeant Pank, as the senior officer, failed to instruct her colleague not to use the weapon on the elderly woman.

Senior constable faces court over taser death of Clare Nowland. Video source: 7 News Australia​

Police have assigned a critical incident team to investigate the matter, and the incident will undergo independent review.

The Nowland family is seeking damages over Clare’s death, including expenses for the funeral and wake, loss of financial support, damages for the curtailment of the expectation of life, and loss of financial support.

The NSW District Court has the authority to award damages of up to $1.2 million in civil cases.

The Downing Centre District Court adjourned the case to 26 October.

According to court documents, Senior Constable Kristian White allegedly fired a taser on Clare Nowland after warning her four times to stop moving on her walker.

Ms Nowland described as ‘of a frail stature’ and using a walker for mobility, had reportedly remained stationary with a raised knife before the incident.

The documents claimed that she had entered residents’ rooms with two kitchen knives.

The incident, occurring around 3:10 a.m., led to unsuccessful attempts to contact Ms Nowland's family before paramedics were called.

In 2008, ABC captured a heartwarming moment featuring Clare Nowland, a great-grandmother, as she celebrated her 80th birthday by skydiving.

Key Takeaways

• The nursing home where Clare Nowland, 95, was allegedly tased by police has been ruled non-compliant over a separate matter by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
• A separate ‘priority one’ incident occurred at Yallambee Lodge in the same month Ms Nowland was tased, leading to an unannounced facility assessment.
• The facility was also found to have failed to report the matter to the commission, indicating gaps in their internal incident investigation and reporting.
• Ms Nowland’s family filed civil proceedings against the state government following her death, and the officer who allegedly fired the taser is facing criminal charges.

Members, what actions do you believe the authorities should take to ensure such incidents don’t recur in nursing homes? Share your thoughts and comments below!

 

[sharkfin1]

I see NSW cops living up to their reputation again

 

[Skeeta22]

It is beyond belief that a police officer would use a taser on a 95 year old lady. Come on, really? What a big brave policeman. I hope he has the book thrown at him and of course dismissed from the force. We do NOT need people like him 'protecting' us thanks.

 

[Toyo]

I still think staff at that home could quite easily have disarmed a 95 year old woman on a walking frame without calling police. That home has a lot to answer for and should be shut down.

 

[Skeeta22]

I still think staff at that home could quite easily have disarmed a 95 year old woman on a walking frame without calling police. That home has a lot to answer for and should be shut down.

I couldn't agree more, it should never have come to this

 

[Kellettw]

This is a no win situation, having worked in health, I am aware of multiple attacks by demented, seeming immobile patients who have assaulted nursing & other health care staff! Some of these nurses were never able to return to work. I wonder, if she had stabbed someone, would she have been charged? My thoughts are with the family, the staff and Police involved.

 

[Baz1960]

The tasering of 95-year-old grandmother Clare Nowland, a dementia care patient at Yallambee Lodge in Cooma, southern NSW, earlier this year prompted Australians to swiftly call for answers.

Ms Nowland was reportedly hit with a Taser by Senior Constable Kristian White on May 17 at the facility.

A week after sustaining head injuries, she passed away in the hospital with some of her eight children, 24 grandchildren, and 30 great-grandchildren by her side.

An unannounced assessment conducted by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission at the facility on June 5 revealed shocking details about Yallambee Lodge.

Last month, it was reported that the Yallambee Lodge’s risk management systems and practices were found to be non-compliant.

It was also revealed that a ‘separate incident’ had occurred the same month Ms Nowland had been tasered, which was what sparked the performance audit.

While details were limited, the report classified the incident as a ‘priority one’ matter.

View attachment 32801

Clare Nowland, 95, who resided at Yallambee Lodge in Cooma, was tased by police. Image source: The Sydney Morning Herald/Alex Ellinghausen

NSW Health explained that a ‘priority one’ indicated the potential for ‘physical or psychological harm and discomfort that would usually require some form of medical or psychological treatment’ and a situation that warranted ‘reasonable grounds to report the incident to police’.

The report said the facility had not finalised its investigation into the incident.

In addition to being ruled as non-compliant, Yallambee Lodge was found to have inadequately reported the matter to the commission.

‘This is evidenced by the provider not meeting mandatory Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) notification and reporting requirements for a Priority 1 notifiable incident occurring in May 2023,’ the report read.

The commission pointed out ‘gaps in the service’s internal incident investigation and reporting in relation to the notifiable incident’.

They separately noted that the facility did not always ‘identify’ and ‘respond’ to reports of abuse and neglect of consumers. It also had areas of concern.

Yallambee Lodge informed the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission that it is undertaking a review and improvement of its services, including care delivery and incident reporting, in response to the audit.

Concurrently, Ms Nowland’s family initiated civil proceedings against the state government following her demise.

In the filed statement of claim, the executor of Ms Nowland’s estate contended that NSW Police behaved unreasonably, attempting to downplay the incident in front of Yallambee Lodge staff.

Constable White, who allegedly fired the taser, is separately facing criminal charges, including recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and common assault in the Local Court related to the incident.

Neither Constable White nor his fellow officer, Sergeant Rachel Pank, are named as defendants in the civil case.

The court document provided a detailed account of the events on the early morning of May 17 when Ms Nowland was tased while holding a knife and using her walking frame.

Constable White has been suspended from the police force with pay, while Sergeant Pank is not facing criminal charges related to the incident.

In their lawsuit, the Nowlands alleged that the taser was discharged in violation of police guidelines and that Sergeant Pank, as the senior officer, failed to instruct her colleague not to use the weapon on the elderly woman.

Senior constable faces court over taser death of Clare Nowland. Video source: 7 News Australia​

Police have assigned a critical incident team to investigate the matter, and the incident will undergo independent review.

The Nowland family is seeking damages over Clare’s death, including expenses for the funeral and wake, loss of financial support, damages for the curtailment of the expectation of life, and loss of financial support.

The NSW District Court has the authority to award damages of up to $1.2 million in civil cases.

The Downing Centre District Court adjourned the case to 26 October.

According to court documents, Senior Constable Kristian White allegedly fired a taser on Clare Nowland after warning her four times to stop moving on her walker.

Ms Nowland described as ‘of a frail stature’ and using a walker for mobility, had reportedly remained stationary with a raised knife before the incident.

The documents claimed that she had entered residents’ rooms with two kitchen knives.

The incident, occurring around 3:10 a.m., led to unsuccessful attempts to contact Ms Nowland's family before paramedics were called.

In 2008, ABC captured a heartwarming moment featuring Clare Nowland, a great-grandmother, as she celebrated her 80th birthday by skydiving.

Key Takeaways

• The nursing home where Clare Nowland, 95, was allegedly tased by police has been ruled non-compliant over a separate matter by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
• A separate ‘priority one’ incident occurred at Yallambee Lodge in the same month Ms Nowland was tased, leading to an unannounced facility assessment.
• The facility was also found to have failed to report the matter to the commission, indicating gaps in their internal incident investigation and reporting.
• Ms Nowland’s family filed civil proceedings against the state government following her death, and the officer who allegedly fired the taser is facing criminal charges.

Members, what actions do you believe the authorities should take to ensure such incidents don’t recur in nursing homes? Share your thoughts and comments below!

Far to early to speculate. At this time most information related to this case is hear say. Yes someone has lost their life. Also, people have been stood down from their job. I have no reason to suspect a thorough investigation will not be done, will examine all the issues first to make sure an incident like this never happens again. Both residents and people doing their jobs need to be safe.

 

[Baz1960]

This is a no win situation, having worked in health, I am aware of multiple attacks by demented, seeming immobile patients who have assaulted nursing & other health care staff! Some of these nurses were never able to return to work. I wonder, if she had stabbed someone, would she have been charged? My thoughts are with the family, the staff and Police involved.

Here, here well described.

 

[LBehan]

The tasering of 95-year-old grandmother Clare Nowland, a dementia care patient at Yallambee Lodge in Cooma, southern NSW, earlier this year prompted Australians to swiftly call for answers.

Ms Nowland was reportedly hit with a Taser by Senior Constable Kristian White on May 17 at the facility.

A week after sustaining head injuries, she passed away in the hospital with some of her eight children, 24 grandchildren, and 30 great-grandchildren by her side.

An unannounced assessment conducted by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission at the facility on June 5 revealed shocking details about Yallambee Lodge.

Last month, it was reported that the Yallambee Lodge’s risk management systems and practices were found to be non-compliant.

It was also revealed that a ‘separate incident’ had occurred the same month Ms Nowland had been tasered, which was what sparked the performance audit.

While details were limited, the report classified the incident as a ‘priority one’ matter.

View attachment 32801

Clare Nowland, 95, who resided at Yallambee Lodge in Cooma, was tased by police. Image source: The Sydney Morning Herald/Alex Ellinghausen

NSW Health explained that a ‘priority one’ indicated the potential for ‘physical or psychological harm and discomfort that would usually require some form of medical or psychological treatment’ and a situation that warranted ‘reasonable grounds to report the incident to police’.

The report said the facility had not finalised its investigation into the incident.

In addition to being ruled as non-compliant, Yallambee Lodge was found to have inadequately reported the matter to the commission.

‘This is evidenced by the provider not meeting mandatory Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) notification and reporting requirements for a Priority 1 notifiable incident occurring in May 2023,’ the report read.

The commission pointed out ‘gaps in the service’s internal incident investigation and reporting in relation to the notifiable incident’.

They separately noted that the facility did not always ‘identify’ and ‘respond’ to reports of abuse and neglect of consumers. It also had areas of concern.

Yallambee Lodge informed the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission that it is undertaking a review and improvement of its services, including care delivery and incident reporting, in response to the audit.

Concurrently, Ms Nowland’s family initiated civil proceedings against the state government following her demise.

In the filed statement of claim, the executor of Ms Nowland’s estate contended that NSW Police behaved unreasonably, attempting to downplay the incident in front of Yallambee Lodge staff.

Constable White, who allegedly fired the taser, is separately facing criminal charges, including recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and common assault in the Local Court related to the incident.

Neither Constable White nor his fellow officer, Sergeant Rachel Pank, are named as defendants in the civil case.

The court document provided a detailed account of the events on the early morning of May 17 when Ms Nowland was tased while holding a knife and using her walking frame.

Constable White has been suspended from the police force with pay, while Sergeant Pank is not facing criminal charges related to the incident.

In their lawsuit, the Nowlands alleged that the taser was discharged in violation of police guidelines and that Sergeant Pank, as the senior officer, failed to instruct her colleague not to use the weapon on the elderly woman.

Senior constable faces court over taser death of Clare Nowland. Video source: 7 News Australia​

Police have assigned a critical incident team to investigate the matter, and the incident will undergo independent review.

The Nowland family is seeking damages over Clare’s death, including expenses for the funeral and wake, loss of financial support, damages for the curtailment of the expectation of life, and loss of financial support.

The NSW District Court has the authority to award damages of up to $1.2 million in civil cases.

The Downing Centre District Court adjourned the case to 26 October.

According to court documents, Senior Constable Kristian White allegedly fired a taser on Clare Nowland after warning her four times to stop moving on her walker.

Ms Nowland described as ‘of a frail stature’ and using a walker for mobility, had reportedly remained stationary with a raised knife before the incident.

The documents claimed that she had entered residents’ rooms with two kitchen knives.

The incident, occurring around 3:10 a.m., led to unsuccessful attempts to contact Ms Nowland's family before paramedics were called.

In 2008, ABC captured a heartwarming moment featuring Clare Nowland, a great-grandmother, as she celebrated her 80th birthday by skydiving.

Key Takeaways

• The nursing home where Clare Nowland, 95, was allegedly tased by police has been ruled non-compliant over a separate matter by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
• A separate ‘priority one’ incident occurred at Yallambee Lodge in the same month Ms Nowland was tased, leading to an unannounced facility assessment.
• The facility was also found to have failed to report the matter to the commission, indicating gaps in their internal incident investigation and reporting.
• Ms Nowland’s family filed civil proceedings against the state government following her death, and the officer who allegedly fired the taser is facing criminal charges.

Members, what actions do you believe the authorities should take to ensure such incidents don’t recur in nursing homes? Share your thoughts and comments below!

 

[LBehan]

It's more of a bad reflection on the aged care facility that an elderly, fragile dementia patient could not be disarmed by staff. There was no need to bring the police into the situation. Complete overkill. Any long-handled implement could have been used to knock the knife out of her hand. It wasn't a machete like the youth of today use when breaking into homes. That darling old lady died because of the aged care facility staff overreacting. Why didn't they use their training? The main issue is with them. The police came because they were called. This lady absolutely could have been disarmed by gently knocking the knife out of her hand. She probably would have been very unsteady on her feet hence the walker. How sad for her family to know how their mother went out of this world. It's heartbreaking. No one knows how bad aged care is until your loved one goes there.

 

[Frida1944]

What an indictment on police training in NSW that a huge policeman couldn't disarm a 95 year old woman ON A WALKER without resorting to violence by tasering her!
The care home bears huge responsibility for this - the lack of training of their staff is absolutely disgusting that so-called trained personnel had to resort to police assistance with a 95 year old woman.
We know how difficult it can be for staff with obstreperous dementia patients, but surely it would only take two staff to deal with this situation.
Using a 95 year old patient's behaviour as an excuse is appalling!

 

[Judith1946]

How come she was able to gain access to a knife. I worked in aged care for many years and in dementia care. As a trained nurse I was taught how to interact with dangerous situations involving all types of patients. Staff are no longer trained properly in so many fields be it care giving, office work, shop assistants or most other fields. This woman most probably would have been terrified seeing so many strange people surrounding her, yelling at her.
Goodness knows where the police were trained to behave in such a manner, it’s ridiculous to even contemplate that a trained police officer would resort to such disgusting behaviour. My heart goes out to the grieving family.

 

[Nana Zorak]

My wonderful granddaughter who is a personal carer at another facility for oldies has told me many horror stories from the places where she has worked. Starting with the $500,000 it costs to get a place in a private facility plus the $100.00 a day to keep them there. Luckily she had very good training at the first place she worked & she holds that training as a standard to go by but all facilities don't bother to have a duty of care to their inmates let alone their staff. She certainly is grateful for the training she had at Southern Cross Nursing Home.

 

[wattorjw]

The tasering of 95-year-old grandmother Clare Nowland, a dementia care patient at Yallambee Lodge in Cooma, southern NSW, earlier this year prompted Australians to swiftly call for answers.

Ms Nowland was reportedly hit with a Taser by Senior Constable Kristian White on May 17 at the facility.

A week after sustaining head injuries, she passed away in the hospital with some of her eight children, 24 grandchildren, and 30 great-grandchildren by her side.

An unannounced assessment conducted by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission at the facility on June 5 revealed shocking details about Yallambee Lodge.

Last month, it was reported that the Yallambee Lodge’s risk management systems and practices were found to be non-compliant.

It was also revealed that a ‘separate incident’ had occurred the same month Ms Nowland had been tasered, which was what sparked the performance audit.

While details were limited, the report classified the incident as a ‘priority one’ matter.

View attachment 32801

Clare Nowland, 95, who resided at Yallambee Lodge in Cooma, was tased by police. Image source: The Sydney Morning Herald/Alex Ellinghausen

NSW Health explained that a ‘priority one’ indicated the potential for ‘physical or psychological harm and discomfort that would usually require some form of medical or psychological treatment’ and a situation that warranted ‘reasonable grounds to report the incident to police’.

The report said the facility had not finalised its investigation into the incident.

In addition to being ruled as non-compliant, Yallambee Lodge was found to have inadequately reported the matter to the commission.

‘This is evidenced by the provider not meeting mandatory Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) notification and reporting requirements for a Priority 1 notifiable incident occurring in May 2023,’ the report read.

The commission pointed out ‘gaps in the service’s internal incident investigation and reporting in relation to the notifiable incident’.

They separately noted that the facility did not always ‘identify’ and ‘respond’ to reports of abuse and neglect of consumers. It also had areas of concern.

Yallambee Lodge informed the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission that it is undertaking a review and improvement of its services, including care delivery and incident reporting, in response to the audit.

Concurrently, Ms Nowland’s family initiated civil proceedings against the state government following her demise.

In the filed statement of claim, the executor of Ms Nowland’s estate contended that NSW Police behaved unreasonably, attempting to downplay the incident in front of Yallambee Lodge staff.

Constable White, who allegedly fired the taser, is separately facing criminal charges, including recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and common assault in the Local Court related to the incident.

Neither Constable White nor his fellow officer, Sergeant Rachel Pank, are named as defendants in the civil case.

The court document provided a detailed account of the events on the early morning of May 17 when Ms Nowland was tased while holding a knife and using her walking frame.

Constable White has been suspended from the police force with pay, while Sergeant Pank is not facing criminal charges related to the incident.

In their lawsuit, the Nowlands alleged that the taser was discharged in violation of police guidelines and that Sergeant Pank, as the senior officer, failed to instruct her colleague not to use the weapon on the elderly woman.

Senior constable faces court over taser death of Clare Nowland. Video source: 7 News Australia​

Police have assigned a critical incident team to investigate the matter, and the incident will undergo independent review.

The Nowland family is seeking damages over Clare’s death, including expenses for the funeral and wake, loss of financial support, damages for the curtailment of the expectation of life, and loss of financial support.

The NSW District Court has the authority to award damages of up to $1.2 million in civil cases.

The Downing Centre District Court adjourned the case to 26 October.

According to court documents, Senior Constable Kristian White allegedly fired a taser on Clare Nowland after warning her four times to stop moving on her walker.

Ms Nowland described as ‘of a frail stature’ and using a walker for mobility, had reportedly remained stationary with a raised knife before the incident.

The documents claimed that she had entered residents’ rooms with two kitchen knives.

The incident, occurring around 3:10 a.m., led to unsuccessful attempts to contact Ms Nowland's family before paramedics were called.

In 2008, ABC captured a heartwarming moment featuring Clare Nowland, a great-grandmother, as she celebrated her 80th birthday by skydiving.

Key Takeaways

• The nursing home where Clare Nowland, 95, was allegedly tased by police has been ruled non-compliant over a separate matter by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
• A separate ‘priority one’ incident occurred at Yallambee Lodge in the same month Ms Nowland was tased, leading to an unannounced facility assessment.
• The facility was also found to have failed to report the matter to the commission, indicating gaps in their internal incident investigation and reporting.
• Ms Nowland’s family filed civil proceedings against the state government following her death, and the officer who allegedly fired the taser is facing criminal charges.

Members, what actions do you believe the authorities should take to ensure such incidents don’t recur in nursing homes? Share your thoughts and comments below!

that bcop that kidded that harmless old woman should be sacked from the police force and charged with murder

 

[wattorjw]

that cop should be sacked and charged with murder

 

[Sockjoan]

The tasering of 95-year-old grandmother Clare Nowland, a dementia care patient at Yallambee Lodge in Cooma, southern NSW, earlier this year prompted Australians to swiftly call for answers.

Ms Nowland was reportedly hit with a Taser by Senior Constable Kristian White on May 17 at the facility.

A week after sustaining head injuries, she passed away in the hospital with some of her eight children, 24 grandchildren, and 30 great-grandchildren by her side.

An unannounced assessment conducted by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission at the facility on June 5 revealed shocking details about Yallambee Lodge.

Last month, it was reported that the Yallambee Lodge’s risk management systems and practices were found to be non-compliant.

It was also revealed that a ‘separate incident’ had occurred the same month Ms Nowland had been tasered, which was what sparked the performance audit.

While details were limited, the report classified the incident as a ‘priority one’ matter.

View attachment 32801

Clare Nowland, 95, who resided at Yallambee Lodge in Cooma, was tased by police. Image source: The Sydney Morning Herald/Alex Ellinghausen

NSW Health explained that a ‘priority one’ indicated the potential for ‘physical or psychological harm and discomfort that would usually require some form of medical or psychological treatment’ and a situation that warranted ‘reasonable grounds to report the incident to police’.

The report said the facility had not finalised its investigation into the incident.

In addition to being ruled as non-compliant, Yallambee Lodge was found to have inadequately reported the matter to the commission.

‘This is evidenced by the provider not meeting mandatory Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) notification and reporting requirements for a Priority 1 notifiable incident occurring in May 2023,’ the report read.

The commission pointed out ‘gaps in the service’s internal incident investigation and reporting in relation to the notifiable incident’.

They separately noted that the facility did not always ‘identify’ and ‘respond’ to reports of abuse and neglect of consumers. It also had areas of concern.

Yallambee Lodge informed the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission that it is undertaking a review and improvement of its services, including care delivery and incident reporting, in response to the audit.

Concurrently, Ms Nowland’s family initiated civil proceedings against the state government following her demise.

In the filed statement of claim, the executor of Ms Nowland’s estate contended that NSW Police behaved unreasonably, attempting to downplay the incident in front of Yallambee Lodge staff.

Constable White, who allegedly fired the taser, is separately facing criminal charges, including recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and common assault in the Local Court related to the incident.

Neither Constable White nor his fellow officer, Sergeant Rachel Pank, are named as defendants in the civil case.

The court document provided a detailed account of the events on the early morning of May 17 when Ms Nowland was tased while holding a knife and using her walking frame.

Constable White has been suspended from the police force with pay, while Sergeant Pank is not facing criminal charges related to the incident.

In their lawsuit, the Nowlands alleged that the taser was discharged in violation of police guidelines and that Sergeant Pank, as the senior officer, failed to instruct her colleague not to use the weapon on the elderly woman.

Senior constable faces court over taser death of Clare Nowland. Video source: 7 News Australia​

Police have assigned a critical incident team to investigate the matter, and the incident will undergo independent review.

The Nowland family is seeking damages over Clare’s death, including expenses for the funeral and wake, loss of financial support, damages for the curtailment of the expectation of life, and loss of financial support.

The NSW District Court has the authority to award damages of up to $1.2 million in civil cases.

The Downing Centre District Court adjourned the case to 26 October.

According to court documents, Senior Constable Kristian White allegedly fired a taser on Clare Nowland after warning her four times to stop moving on her walker.

Ms Nowland described as ‘of a frail stature’ and using a walker for mobility, had reportedly remained stationary with a raised knife before the incident.

The documents claimed that she had entered residents’ rooms with two kitchen knives.

The incident, occurring around 3:10 a.m., led to unsuccessful attempts to contact Ms Nowland's family before paramedics were called.

In 2008, ABC captured a heartwarming moment featuring Clare Nowland, a great-grandmother, as she celebrated her 80th birthday by skydiving.

Key Takeaways

• The nursing home where Clare Nowland, 95, was allegedly tased by police has been ruled non-compliant over a separate matter by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
• A separate ‘priority one’ incident occurred at Yallambee Lodge in the same month Ms Nowland was tased, leading to an unannounced facility assessment.
• The facility was also found to have failed to report the matter to the commission, indicating gaps in their internal incident investigation and reporting.
• Ms Nowland’s family filed civil proceedings against the state government following her death, and the officer who allegedly fired the taser is facing criminal charges.

Members, what actions do you believe the authorities should take to ensure such incidents don’t recur in nursing homes? Share your thoughts and comments below!

The nursing home should have been able to deal with this problem without any need for police. Part of the trouble is that it happened in the small hours of the morning, when there are very few staff, especially senior staff, on duty in nursing homes. And police probably need educating on the subject of dementia. People with dementia often have impaired communication skills - they don’t understand spoken language and they can’t use language to express themselves. My husband died with advanced dementia; he was a very intelligent and highly educated man, but he couldn’t understand what I was saying to him, let alone respond comprehensibly. I should think it highly likely that Mrs Nowland had the same condition, and the nursing home staff surely have strategies for handling distressed residents. And yes, nursing-home residents often enter the rooms of other residents. Staff should surely be used to this and able to deal with the problem competently.

 

[Colette 3799]

It's more of a bad reflection on the aged care facility that an elderly, fragile dementia patient could not be disarmed by staff. There was no need to bring the police into the situation. Complete overkill. Any long-handled implement could have been used to knock the knife out of her hand. It wasn't a machete like the youth of today use when breaking into homes. That darling old lady died because of the aged care facility staff overreacting. Why didn't they use their training? The main issue is with them. The police came because they were called. This lady absolutely could have been disarmed by gently knocking the knife out of her hand. She probably would have been very unsteady on her feet hence the walker. How sad for her family to know how their mother went out of this world. It's heartbreaking. No one knows how bad aged care is until your loved one goes there.

I totally agree. Care facilities seem to do most of their training on line these days. It’s totally unacceptable as all you do is watch a video and answer questions at the end. Plus they basically tell you the answer if you get it wrong and who knows for sure if the person supposed to be doing the training is actually the one answering the questions. As one of my workmates said “ I’ve watched a few episodes of ER so am I qualified to do operations now?” Training should be back to face to face and companies shouldnt go for the cheaper option. And training should be on going

 

[Jabba]

The tasering of 95-year-old grandmother Clare Nowland, a dementia care patient at Yallambee Lodge in Cooma, southern NSW, earlier this year prompted Australians to swiftly call for answers.

Ms Nowland was reportedly hit with a Taser by Senior Constable Kristian White on May 17 at the facility.

A week after sustaining head injuries, she passed away in the hospital with some of her eight children, 24 grandchildren, and 30 great-grandchildren by her side.

An unannounced assessment conducted by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission at the facility on June 5 revealed shocking details about Yallambee Lodge.

Last month, it was reported that the Yallambee Lodge’s risk management systems and practices were found to be non-compliant.

It was also revealed that a ‘separate incident’ had occurred the same month Ms Nowland had been tasered, which was what sparked the performance audit.

While details were limited, the report classified the incident as a ‘priority one’ matter.

View attachment 32801

Clare Nowland, 95, who resided at Yallambee Lodge in Cooma, was tased by police. Image source: The Sydney Morning Herald/Alex Ellinghausen

NSW Health explained that a ‘priority one’ indicated the potential for ‘physical or psychological harm and discomfort that would usually require some form of medical or psychological treatment’ and a situation that warranted ‘reasonable grounds to report the incident to police’.

The report said the facility had not finalised its investigation into the incident.

In addition to being ruled as non-compliant, Yallambee Lodge was found to have inadequately reported the matter to the commission.

‘This is evidenced by the provider not meeting mandatory Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) notification and reporting requirements for a Priority 1 notifiable incident occurring in May 2023,’ the report read.

The commission pointed out ‘gaps in the service’s internal incident investigation and reporting in relation to the notifiable incident’.

They separately noted that the facility did not always ‘identify’ and ‘respond’ to reports of abuse and neglect of consumers. It also had areas of concern.

Yallambee Lodge informed the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission that it is undertaking a review and improvement of its services, including care delivery and incident reporting, in response to the audit.

Concurrently, Ms Nowland’s family initiated civil proceedings against the state government following her demise.

In the filed statement of claim, the executor of Ms Nowland’s estate contended that NSW Police behaved unreasonably, attempting to downplay the incident in front of Yallambee Lodge staff.

Constable White, who allegedly fired the taser, is separately facing criminal charges, including recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and common assault in the Local Court related to the incident.

Neither Constable White nor his fellow officer, Sergeant Rachel Pank, are named as defendants in the civil case.

The court document provided a detailed account of the events on the early morning of May 17 when Ms Nowland was tased while holding a knife and using her walking frame.

Constable White has been suspended from the police force with pay, while Sergeant Pank is not facing criminal charges related to the incident.

In their lawsuit, the Nowlands alleged that the taser was discharged in violation of police guidelines and that Sergeant Pank, as the senior officer, failed to instruct her colleague not to use the weapon on the elderly woman.

Senior constable faces court over taser death of Clare Nowland. Video source: 7 News Australia​

Police have assigned a critical incident team to investigate the matter, and the incident will undergo independent review.

The Nowland family is seeking damages over Clare’s death, including expenses for the funeral and wake, loss of financial support, damages for the curtailment of the expectation of life, and loss of financial support.

The NSW District Court has the authority to award damages of up to $1.2 million in civil cases.

The Downing Centre District Court adjourned the case to 26 October.

According to court documents, Senior Constable Kristian White allegedly fired a taser on Clare Nowland after warning her four times to stop moving on her walker.

Ms Nowland described as ‘of a frail stature’ and using a walker for mobility, had reportedly remained stationary with a raised knife before the incident.

The documents claimed that she had entered residents’ rooms with two kitchen knives.

The incident, occurring around 3:10 a.m., led to unsuccessful attempts to contact Ms Nowland's family before paramedics were called.

In 2008, ABC captured a heartwarming moment featuring Clare Nowland, a great-grandmother, as she celebrated her 80th birthday by skydiving.

Key Takeaways

• The nursing home where Clare Nowland, 95, was allegedly tased by police has been ruled non-compliant over a separate matter by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
• A separate ‘priority one’ incident occurred at Yallambee Lodge in the same month Ms Nowland was tased, leading to an unannounced facility assessment.
• The facility was also found to have failed to report the matter to the commission, indicating gaps in their internal incident investigation and reporting.
• Ms Nowland’s family filed civil proceedings against the state government following her death, and the officer who allegedly fired the taser is facing criminal charges.

Members, what actions do you believe the authorities should take to ensure such incidents don’t recur in nursing homes? Share your thoughts and comments below!

All nursing homes need a major overhaul.
There are a couple of points here:
.why didn't staff just take the knife from Clare (an 80 yr old with a walker) not a major threat
.why did they need to call police
.how was Clare even able to get into the kitchen, which should have been securely locked
.nursing homes need more staff (caring and compassionate)
.where were the staff, and of course
.why did the police feel the need to use a taser

The outcome should be that the nurses in charge on the night should also lose their jobs as well as the policeman.
All nursing homes should have strict compliance rules and the carers should have no less than standard nursing training.
I lost my mum to alzeimers. Her last few years of life were in a nursing home and the standard of care given to patients there left me reeling with hatred for the staff (and I don't hate anyone) The staff were disgusting without a care in the world for their patients. I could keep going on the things I saw, but it's too upsetting.

 

[Jo Piper3]

The poor old lady is dead due to a terrible action from a policeman. The facility was deemed non compliant in an audit and should improve their standards of care and responsibility. Why is the family suing? It certainly won't bring back the dear lady? Sounds like profiteering to me. May she rest in peace.

 

[Skeeta22]

This is a no win situation, having worked in health, I am aware of multiple attacks by demented, seeming immobile patients who have assaulted nursing & other health care staff! Some of these nurses were never able to return to work. I wonder, if she had stabbed someone, would she have been charged? My thoughts are with the family, the staff and Police involved.

I totally agree with you BUT tasering an old lady is a step too far, there would most definitely have been a better way to diffuse the situation without getting trigger happy. I feel for all involved also, it's a real tragedy.