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Care home reported after elderly man maltreated

Published: 7 Jul 12 12:37 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/41892/20120707/

The daughter of an elderly man suffering from dementia has reported his geriatric home for maltreatment upon learning that he was forced to pull out all his teeth due to poor dental hygiene and had un-clipped nails growing into his skin.

The man lives at a geriatric home in Sandviken in central Sweden.

His daughter, who wishes to remain anonymous to protect her father’s integrity, told local media that Sandviken munipality’s ambitions for geriatric care have been low for too long, making it impossible for the staff to do their jobs properly.

The municipality has now admitted several flaws in the elderly man’s care, and has introduced a plan to rectify these, which his daughter approves of.

“But at the same time I’m concerned about what’s going to happen to all the others in the same situation. I hardly think my father’s the only one,” she said to the local newspaper Arbetarbladet.

“The feeling you get is that these people aren’t considered to be worth anything because they can’t speak for themselves.”

Her father's teeth had to be pulled out following prolonged poor dental hygiene, and his fingernails were left to grow so long they cut into his skin.

When reporting her father’s inadequate care to the authorities, the daughter listed several other examples of maltreatment and negligence, including poor hygiene, security and nutrition.

“Even though it says in my father’s file that he needs help to eat, I’ve come to visit several times and found him alone with a tray of food that he can’t eat,” she told Arbetarbladet.

“He’s served his community well all these years. Shouldn’t you be able to expect him to be well taken care of when he can’t take care of himself any longer?”

TT/Clara Guibourg (news@thelocal.se)

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19:23 July 7, 2012 by rob582
Maltreated by not being visited by his so called relatives maybe?
20:41 July 7, 2012 by libertarianism
Re 1, the poor man could have only one daughter who works in a distant town. She could have her own (neglicted) medical issues and/or be the caretaker of a sambo/spouse/children, etc. which prevents her from visiting her father as often as she wants...

Otherwise, what would happen if a dog kennel treated their dogs like this?? The responsible parties would be fined and sentenced for animal abuse and most likely lose their license to house dogs. Why do dogs have better care than humans in Sweden?
21:27 July 7, 2012 by dizzymoe33
It is a so sad how the elderly are being treated. Unfortunately it happens in my Country as well!! Someday all those people will be old and what goes around will come around!!
03:03 July 8, 2012 by Borilla
@rob582

Care of those suffering from dementia is difficult. That being the case, it is no excuse for lack of care by properly trained personnel. The care of those suffering from dementia can overwhelm a family and when the municipality says it will undertake that care, it has the duty to treat such patients with care and dignity, with sufficient and properly trained attendants, whether or not the family visits. There are other patients who have no family. Who speaks for them?

You sound like a member of the local board trying to cover their tracks by blaming someone else for their faults. The local government takes taxes and appropriates the money (the people's money) for such care. If they fail in their duty, they are taking the money under false pretenses.
04:21 July 8, 2012 by Trenatos
This is just insane...

These places are there to HELP with caring for the elderly, it's their job, it's their whole reason for existing, yet we keep seeing reports of maltreatment, sometimes to such an extent that it's borderline torture.
08:48 July 8, 2012 by cogito
Tip of the iceberg...

Neglect and even abuse of the Swedish elderly is becoming routine.
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