Behind-the-Scenes Elder Abuse in Care and Hospitals Is Not At All Rare

In the interests of keeping my word to 'stand in the gap' (the very large gap, in fact) left by the departure of the regular, 47-year-history consumer rights program, 'Fair Go', from New Zealand's television landscape, I've been keeping a close eye on watchdog programs across the Tasman . . . since Australia and New Zealand share similar trends in numerous regards.

One theme that keeps cropping up in my YouTube "news feeds" are programs and coverage on abuse in nursing homes and other facilities where the elderly are "cared" for . . . or maybe not so "cared" for. And I've been horrified by the intense and unmitigated form that that abuse has often taken.

Worse still, that's only what's reported. Which is unlikely to be any more than the very "tip of the iceberg". 

Alarming from any perspective (including that personnel with a disdain for the elderly are employed in roles where elderly people are so vulnerable to them).

But that degree of concern increases markedly when one considers the ageing nature of the population, with the first wave of the huge and out-of-proportion Baby Boomer generation now deep into their retirement years and even. for the very front end of the wave, progressing quite deeply into "old age".

So I heartily congratulate news outlet, Stuff, for picking up and giving considerable  "page space" and detail of coverage to exposing some truly horrific goings-on at Tauranga Hospital.

This will be far from the only instance of such neglect and abuse in New Zealand, unfortunately. But Stuff's coverage of it is a good start at sending a shot over the bow of this horror story of an institution, whose management, in the manner of many large public organisations, is doggedly in denial (at least. publicly) of their wrongdoing.

They seemingly have no concept of either (1) recognition of a problem being the first step towards addressing it, or (2) the buck stopping at the top.

Shame. Shame. Shame, Tauranga Hospital "management".

Relatives of, friends of, and visitors to, elderly hospital patients and care home residents (or perhaps, I should say, "inmates"), do keep a very close eye on the environment when you visit - and watch out more broadly for other elderly folk who may be the subject of neglect and abuse.

If you witness anything untoward, please contact me through the Contact form on The Customer & The Constituent.