Family's praise for shut care facility

The family of a 103-year-old woman, whose apparent poor treatment has led to a rest home being closed, is defending the owner of the facility, saying its care for their mother was "wonderful".

Rose A Lea Rest Home in Palmerston North was closed after a complaint was made by a caregiver about elderly resident Myra Letts being tied to her bed.

A Ministry of Health audit in March approved the rest home, but an emergency inspection by MidCentral District Health Board last week found unhygienic conditions and forced it to close.

Mrs Letts' daughter, Bev Stone, said she was more upset that her mother's privacy had been breached, as pictures of her were shown in newspapers and broadcast on television.

She told Radio New Zealand that Rose A Lea had provided "wonderful" care for her mother for five years and its staff "went the extra mile" for her.

"[If] she hadn't been there we would have lost her ... five years ago," said Mrs Stone.

The family said they were not happy that Mrs Letts had been tied to the bed, but said the rest home was attempting to do the right thing by straightening her leg.

Geriatricians the Herald spoke to said restraining someone was rarely appropriate, though it could be used in extreme cases as an alternative to heavy sedation. On the occasions that restraints were put in place, written consent would have to be granted by family or a welfare guardian.

The DHB's investigation was sparked by whistleblower Julie Ireland, who obtained cellphone photos of a restrained Mrs Letts from a recently employed caregiver. Ms Ireland also said unqualified staff were left to administer injections and toilets and bathrooms were only cleaned once a week.

Mrs Letts died on Monday last week from problems believed to be unrelated to her treatment.

The DHB said the home's problems could not be remedied in a short timeframe so it had to close the facility immediately, forcing the relocation of 12 patients.

Some elderly care authorities said closing the home was reactionary and unjustified.

Bupa Care Services, which looks after more than 17,000 New Zealanders, said the DHB's process was part of a "witch hunt" and that the board had not given the facility a chance to rectify the problems.

The Aged Care Association also questioned whether the DHB's actions were too heavy-handed, and called for an independent inquiry into the home.