Lance:
I’m going to talk about something really important, something that is not always talked about. Old people. Old people, they can be at risk. Old people can be at risk of abuse and neglect. Yeah. Neglect. Sometimes people don’t even see that they are neglecting a family member or a person they are caring for. Aged care staff need to know the signs of neglect and abuse to stop this from happening. Let me show you what I mean.
Samuel and me, we brought Charlie in here. His family’s gone out bush again.
Samuel:
Yeah. Old Charlie, he said family took his money and didn’t leave no food for him. That’s neglect like you told us about in the talk last week. They’re not caring for him the right way. He’s old man. He needs the help. They’ve got to be there to help him every day.
Enid:
Thanks. You did right bringing him up here Lance. We’ll make sure he has a good feed and he can stay here until he’s ready to go back home this afternoon. Samuel you take him up to pick up his medications from the clinic on his way home and don’t forget his washing.
Samuel:
At least Charlie can rely on us to look out for him.
Lance:
Ah, are you here today? Didn’t see you at all yesterday. Come on. Let’s get on with the work.
Samuel:
Pack up the lunches and take them out?
Lance:
Yep.
§(Music Playing)§
Samuel:
About not showing up yesterday, I’ve not been sleeping well. There’s been lots of people staying at the house and the baby been crying all night.
Lance:
Hmm. That’s not the first time Samuel. It’s been happening a few times lately.
Samuel:
Yeah. Sorry about not coming in to work.
Lance:
No use sorry to me Samuel. You’re not working for me. You’re working for them old people.
Samuel:
Yeah I guess so. People like Charlie?
Lance:
Yeah like Charlie.
Samuel:
Hmm. How did he go yesterday?
Lance:
You want to see yesterday through Charlie’s eyes?
Samuel:
Ah not really, but okay.
What’s he doing?
Lance:
Waiting for his lunch. Waiting for you to bring him his lunch.
Samuel:
Why didn’t Enid get someone else to do the lunches and the stuff I usually do for Charlie?
Lance:
Enid? She didn’t know if you were coming in or not. She waited a while but by the time we realised you weren’t coming in everyone was busy doing other jobs.
Samuel:
Oh.
Lance:
It’s pretty hard to find someone new to replace you just like that. You didn’t give Enid any warning you’re not coming in.
You know it’s important that we do our job right, that old people get the help and care they need. If we agree to do something and then we don’t do it and the old person misses out on the help they need that’s wrong. That’s neglect, our neglect. Aged care’s neglect of Charlie. That’s serious Samuel and it makes it harder for the rest of us. It worked out okay because we made sure Charlie got the help he needed but it was a bit late. You not showing up for work can’t keep happening.
Samuel:
Yeah.
Lance:
Do you remember last month when we visited Charlie? Remember how his family took his money to get him some food?
But then went out bush and left Charlie with no food, no money, no one round to help him or care for him?
Samuel:
Yeah. I remember.
Lance:
Yeah. Do you remember what you said then about the family? What that was?
Samuel:
Yeah. I said they neglected him.
Lance:
Yeah. Neglect and abuse. You went off about that but you do the same thing. We’ve got to help stop that. These old people, they’ve got the right to live without abuse and neglect, not from their family, not from us. We’ve got to give them respect.
§(Music Playing)§
Samuel:
What’s Charlie doing now?
Lance:
Still waiting for you to bring him his lunch. And he needs his washing dropped off and to be taken to the clinic for his medicine pack. He missed out yesterday and we couldn’t get his blankets back in time. Good thing the weather is warm.
Samuel:
Hi Enid. Can’t come in today.
Enid:
Okay. Thanks for letting me know Samuel.
Lance:
That Samuel, at least he gave Enid time to plan for someone to take his place this time. We can make sure everyone gets the care they need today. No one gets neglected. How about you? What do you do to make sure no one gets neglected?
Neglect is a form of elder abuse. Elder abuse is defined as any act within a relationship of trust that harms an older person.
Use this facilitator guide to support discussion about neglect, a form of elder abuse.
Stories, people and places are based on individuals from different communities in East Arnhem Land. For cultural appropriateness, names have been changed.