AUSTRALIA: Aged Care Study Exposes Poor Care

SYDNEY (Sydney Morning Herald), October 19, 2007: Aged patients are often discharged from hospital malnourished and with bed sores, a national survey of 370 nursing homes found. Poor care of the elderly in some hospitals is prompting nursing homes to photograph their patients before admission and as they leave, Fairfax reports. A majority of nursing homes said they experienced several cases every year of residents returning from hospital with ulcers and skin tears, and without acknowledgment in the hospital's clinical notes. The author of the study, Tracey McDonald, professor of ageing at the Australian Catholic University, said the numerous "compromised skin integrity" cases raised by nursing homes was "a very disturbing issue". Professor McDonald's report was commissioned by Aged Care Association Australia, which represents nursing homes. It was inspired by significant concerns about the condition of patients transferred between nursing homes and hospitals. The report assessed the detailed answers from 371 nursing homes who responded. A breakdown of the findings showed that NSW hospitals performed better than other states on most indicators, but poorly on medication arrangements for aged care patients leaving hospital. Copyright © 2007. The Sydney Morning Herald.