[urlhttps://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/aged-care-nurse-slapped-elderly-dementia-patient/news-story/ad2477b6cacc91c780d14b6e2e43e8e0][/url]

AN AGED care nurse who was caught on video assaulting an elderly dementia patient has failed to have the charge dismissed under mental health.

Disturbing footage of the moment Dana Maree Gray repeatedly slapped the 85-year-old woman and twice swung a bag of rubbish into her face was played at Burwood Local Court this afternoon.

The GoPro video showed the elderly woman walking with a frame to her bed, before Gray walks in and slaps her repeatedly. She violently undresses the woman and puts clothes on her, before getting a bag of rubbish from the bathroom and swinging it into her face. The woman can be heard screaming in the footage.

Gray can also be seen moving the bed up to its highest elevation so it is at the elderly woman’s chest.

“She is left alone with the bed still in its high position, thus not allowing her to sit or lay for a number of hours,” court documents said.

Gray, 59, has pleaded guilty to assaulting the resident at The Poplars nursing home in North Epping in 2017.

Her lawyer had applied for the matter to be dealt with under with under section 32 of the Mental Health Act which allows a magistrate to dismiss the charges conditionally or unconditionally.

The court heard that Gray had been diagnosed with a depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.

Her husband had died suddenly, she had been subject to assaults by patients and there was an indication she had been sexually abused as a child.

However Magistrate Robyn Denes refused to have the matter heard under the Mental Health Act which would “medicalise the most atrocious conduct”.

“This was ongoing gratuitous violence, that final act of hitting her over the head with the rubbish and then leaving the bed high … leaves her with no dignity,” she said.

“The facts are incredibly serious. Anyone who watched that video could not help but be moved.

“This is a person, the complainant, who is a real person, who is extremely vulnerable in a place where she is supposed to be being cared for.”

Prosecutor Sergeant Ben Lee said the footage showed a “nightmare type scenario” and also argued against the Section 32 application.

“What the court has before it today is a completely innocent, helpless, totally vulnerable human being who is being abused by the staff member who is assigned to care for her,” he said.

“This is something which if the court or anybody were to walk into any public forum and tell this story they would be outraged.”

Gray, who wiped her face with tissues during the court appearance, had been working as an assistant in aged care nursing within the dementia unit since 2013.

A co-worker placed a Go-Pro camera in the woman’s bedroom when he became concerned for the welfare of patients and wanted evidence something was happening before making a formal report.

In a letter tendered to court Gray said she would like to apologise to the woman’s family.

“I have worked in the care industry for about 17 years in after school care, disability support and aged care (mostly dementia),” the letter said.

“I have loved all of these jobs although dementia can get very stressful. I was overdue for holidays and had issues with my health and in my personal life, also not having support when reporting residents’ issues.

“Everything compounding may have contributed to my actions on that day, but by no means any excuse.”

Magistrate Denes ordered an assessment be done for an Intensive Corrections Order — a custodial sentence to be served in the community.

The matter will return for sentence on August 15.



thank god for that co worker...

Well obviously this person should not have been allowed to do this job, it takes someone of almost infinite patience, compassion and empathy.

My Mum had dementia for 13 years and I had to look after both my parents for the last 6, Dad is blind and deaf.  Mum recently passed away.  Believe me dementia can be very, very, trying... Anyone seen The Notebook?  If you have 2 difficult people to look after it can be a nightmare.  Imagine working in a dementia unit.

Who's prepared to bet the co-worker will cop a bullet ?????  A steady list of petty complaints about not doing the job properly leading to dismissal...

Yes, aqua - but we are working hard to get away from the concentration camp guard type - even though the example set by elected government and 'management' these days makes it very hard to do so when such behaviour is rewarded.

Like Grendel, I looked after family in the extremity of their need, and it is a hard and thankless task.

It is not beautiful and compassionate and caring, as people try and romanticise it, just gross and horrific.
Seeing someone you loved and respected so much, rely on you to wash and dress them, to toilet them, to keep them in nappies, is not noble, and the person you loved is not even there.
They are gone, but a damaged husk remains, and society and the law demands we keep that husk alive.

We need to change.

PS To Cods. In your OP you missed on clicking your link between the two square brackets in the middle, so your link does not work. If you go to modify you can go back and insert , ] , that behind URL, at the start, then delete, ] , after the 0 at the end of the web address.
If you do that it will work as a live link.  Have a good day.
Don't worry, I did it here below.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/aged-care-nurse-slapped-elderly-demen...

Well that was a dud, you have to subscribe to see it. Do not bother clicking if you do not have a sub to the telly.

aquascoot wrote on Jun 26^th, 2018 at 8:50am:


No. Not just like me. I wouldn't do it. Prolly get killed for it but i would refuse.

Spot

Sometimes she doesnt know who i am but she still wants to live


Perfect candidate for euthanasia


She's a resouces sink


Your life is hobbled by her selfish wish to live


The State (taxpayers) are forced to fund her uselessness



That serial killer the US executed the other day -- he wanted to live too.  So did his young victims, no doubt



I saved some of those almost defunct plastic bags from the supermarket.  Tied one tightly around my head to illustrate to my spouse how we might end our lives in the future and not be a burden to our children (or anyone else)


When the time comes, if I'm able, I will lay down in front of a news office or parliament and do the deed with notes sent to anyone who can publicise it that until useless government grows some nads, the bag over head exit should go viral

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Jun 29^th, 2018 at 2:36pm:


That post was pretty off.

I wouldn't pay much attention to it.

over worked aged care workers get worn down by the difficulty of caring for the demented- some demented are quite nasty  and I have fed them and have known them to hiss at and abuse pp-and they dont care who it is- even some oldies who are not demented do that

I have seen a carer force feeding a lady who was profoundly demented it disturbed me so I  reported it- not at the time but weeks later- i didnt like doing it because she had a few young chidren and was over worked- ( I didnt actually name her but I did speak up at the time TO her )  -  I do  know how dangerous it is to force feed a dementia patient that way- ( dyspashia -)