В Николаеве омбудсмены проверили частный дом престарелых, обнаружив грязь и просроченные лекарства.
The Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in Mykolaiv Oblast has responded to a publication in “Novosti-N”, which reported on the activities of one of the private facilities providing care for the elderly.
The day after, the team from the Mykolaiv representative office of the Ombudsman conducted an unscheduled visit to the private nursing home “House of Care,” which was announced on their Facebook page.
During confidential discussions with the residents of this facility, it was discovered that some residents are there against their own will.
“Upon reviewing the documentation provided by the director, specifically the contracts for social services and some copies of the residents' medical documents, it was found that there are cases where residents were placed in the nursing home by third parties without a familial relationship to the residents.
According to the residents and their relatives, the staff of the nursing home forcibly administers strong psychotropic medications to residents at their own discretion, without medical prescriptions, to sedate them. Most residents lack the appropriate medical prescriptions for these medications. The staff did not provide any prescriptions that would allow for the acquisition of these medications. It should also be noted that none of the staff possess medical education, and the provision of medical services is not included in the facility's operational regulations.
Additionally, some residents have significant bodily injuries, particularly bruises on their faces. Due to the lack of medical examinations upon the admission of residents and any documentation recording their physical condition prior to their arrival at the facility, it is impossible to determine the exact time, place, and nature of the injuries sustained. The aforementioned facts may indicate possible infliction of bodily harm during the forced admission or while residing at the nursing home,” – reported the office.
Other identified violations include:
- Unsanitary conditions and dirt.
- Expired fire extinguishers.
- Pesticides scattered throughout the rooms.
- Food of unclear origin and use-by dates stored in the refrigerator.
- Expired medications.
- Lack of personal belongings for residents, with reports of missing phones.
- Malfunctioning electrical appliances.
- Broken furniture.
- Dirty bed linens.
- Insufficient lighting.
- Rooms not properly ventilated.
- Pre-filled blood pressure readings for residents.
- Reports of missing personal items and mobile phones.
“Such violations require immediate action, thus based on the monitoring results and within the powers defined by Article 13 of the Law of Ukraine ‘On the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for Human Rights,’ in accordance with Articles 214, 216 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, relevant letters have been sent to the competent authorities regarding the potential commission of criminal offenses,” – noted the office.
One can also form an understanding of what is happening in this facility from the photographs released by the representatives of the Ombudsman.