An allegation that a worker shoved a Wet Wipe towelette into a dementia patient’s mouth to silence her at an aged care home was made due to “bad blood” that had developed between workmates, Manly Local Court heard on Friday. The court heard a work colleague complained to management that care service employee Anita Prajapati, 31, also allegedly slapped the woman, aged in her late 80s, after she screamed while her clothes were being changed. Mr Prajapati’s workmate, Larissa Daley, accused her of shoving a “scrunched-up” towelette into the elderly woman’s mouth at Peter Cosgrove House — a high-care unit at the RSL “War Vets” home at Narrabeen on November 1 last year. The court heard the 31-year-old was suspended after Ms Daley told management she saw Ms Prajapati allegedly assault the elderly patient, who cannot be named for legal reasons. Ms Prajapati has pleaded not guilty to one charge of common assault. The court was told that Ms Daley had been upset that Ms Prajapati had criticised her standard of work on a number of occasions, including using her mobile phone while feeding dementia patients, and that she had “belittled” Ms Daley in front of their colleagues. Another colleague, Sujan Bista-Basnet, told the court on Friday that she had seen Ms Daley become angry and aggressive with Ms Prajapati after she criticised Ms Daley’s work. When giving evidence in May, Ms Daley, told the court she and Ms Prajapati were helping the patient move from a chair to her bed at 2.30pm when the elderly woman, who can no longer talk, screamed out. “That’s when Anita slapped her in the mouth and said: ‘Stop that’,” Ms Daley said. Ms Daley said a few moments later, when she and Ms Prajapati were trying to undress the patient, the elderly woman screamed out again. “(Anita) put the Wet Wipe in her mouth and said: ‘I told you to stop that’,” Ms Daley said. “It ended up scrunched up in her mouth.” Ms Daley did not report the alleged assault until 4.30pm, after she and Ms Prajapati attended to two more patients. Management then contacted police. Ms Prajapati denied slapping the elderly woman or placing the towelette in her mouth. She told the court that she had only wiped food from around the patient’s mouth as they prepared her for bed. Ms Prajapati’s barrister Derek Shridhar, said Ms Daley had an “axe to grind” with his client. “There is a level of bad blood between them,” Mr Shridhar said. “Ms Daley wants to get (Ms Prajapati) off her back. She makes a complaint and beats it up significantly.” Outside court Ms Prajapati said the allegation against her was “really not fair”. Magistrate Michelle Goodwin reserved her decision and adjourned the matter to August 26.
July 8, 2019
Professor Richard Fleming, executive director of Dementia Training Australia, has announced he is stepping down to explore other interests. DTA has appointed Professor Belinda Goodenough as its new executive director.
July 8, 2019
An 81-year-old man living in a Hawke’s Bay rest home is devastated after thieves stole his mobility scooter. Jack Simpson said it was as if someone had stolen his entire independence. Simpson was coming back home to Brittany House Residential Care in Hastings on Friday night when he decided to park the scooter next to an aviary on the grounds near his living quarters. He said he did this rather than park it inside the building where scooters are securely stored because of his previous troubles accessing the building late at night.
July 8, 2019
A Northern Territory court has struck off a dentist who doled out drugs to himself and to family members. According to court documents from the NT Civil and Administrative tribunal, Dr Desmond Worboys will be banned from registering as a dentist for a year. The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency received a notification in March 2016 that Dr Worboys had prescribed benzodiazepines — highly addictive tranquillisers — to a family member. An investigation by the Dental Board of Australia found Dr Worboys had written out up to 65 prescriptions for benzos for a family member between September 2011 and July 2016. The investigation found he had also issued up to 69 prescriptions for antibiotics to a family member and 15 prescriptions for paracetamol and codeine. All of those prescriptions were filled. Dr Worboys was also found to have issued prescriptions in his own name for benzos and antibiotics. The dentist did not present to AHPRA treatment records in relation to the family member when requested. The family member whose name the prescriptions were in said they “could not recall” being prescribed benzodiazepines by Dr Worboys. In November 2016, the DBA banned Dr Worboys from prescribing medication as it found he “posed a serious risk” to people.
July 8, 2019
A former Adelaide doctor jailed for trying to murder a pharmacist after she reported him to the authorities for overprescribing medication has lost his bid to reduce his decade-long sentence. Brian Holder, 69, was found guilty of attempted murder over a revenge attack on a Port Lincoln pharmacist at her workplace in October last year. He was sentenced to 15 years in jail with a non-parole period of 10 years for the attempted murder, but appealed against that decision. The Court of Criminal Appeal has now thrown out that appeal.
July 8, 2019
A s.604 (Appeal of decision) by Gregory James Thurling citing GLossodia Community Information and Neighbourhood Centre Inc. T/A Glossodia Community Centre has been upheld by Vice President Catanzariti, Deputy President Hamilton and Commissioner Hampton, sitting Brisbane, on 5 July 2019. Thurling is seeking a stop bullying order. He is engaged as the Centre Manager/Community Development Worker.
July 8, 2019
The Health Services Union and Austin Health are involved in a s.739 (Application to deal with a dispute) in front of Fair Work Deputy President Hamilton in Court 3 – Level 6 and Conference Room B – Level 6 in Melbourne.
July 8, 2019
A s.394 (Unfair dismissal) application by Fail Miller against DPV Health Ltd has been refused by Fair Work Deputy President Colman, in Melbourne, on 4 July 2019. The ruling was summarised as: “Application for an unfair dismissal remedy – jurisdictional objection – application filed out of time – circumstances not exceptional – application dismissed.”
