Two Brave Home Care Workers Rescue Client From Abusive Son

Two HammondCare home care staff who took action to help a Newcastle woman experiencing distressing elder abuse, financial and physical, have been acknowledged with an award.

Care Manager Felicity Murray, 34, and Registered Nurse Danielle Newton, 35, relocated the client from her home to emergency respite care after the client disclosed her son had control of her debit card and restricted her from her pension.

There were also concerns that the client, who cannot be identified, was not permitted to take her prescribed medications and confined to a bed in the lounge area of her home. There was evidence of malnutrition as well as unexplained bruising.

Newcastle Police attended the home on the day the client was moved in June after the care staff reported receiving verbal threats during the relocation. The two women, both employed by HammondCare at Home Hunter office, were awarded with a HammondCare Mission in Action award Tuesday, November 19 for their “bravery and advocacy” shown towards the client.

HammondCare CEO Andrew Thorburn said he was deeply moved by the actions of the two women after the client admitted to them her son had been financially abusing her. 

“Mrs Newton and Miss Murray secured emergency respite care for the client, explaining to her son that it was necessary for her wound management,” he said. 

“They also assisted her in contacting the elder abuse hotline and the police while she was hospitalised.” 

Elder Abuse Action Australia, the national peak body committed to creating a society that respects, values and protects older Australians praised the efforts of Miss Murray and Mrs Newton to ensure the client was safe.

Executive Officer Bev Lange said: “Elder Abuse Action Australia applauds the actions of these frontline workers”. The client’s ongoing financial abuse was confirmed through bank statements provided to the two women.

The client confided she felt unsafe at home and feared returning due to the potential repercussions from her son. The two women found the client an emergency respite placement while she awaited an ACAT assessment for the required funding approvals to take up a permanent residential aged care place.

The client is now living in an aged care home in an inner Newcastle suburb. Miss Murray said the client declined to support further action against her son, her only immediate family.

Newcastle Police said the client declined to provide a formal statement of complaint. “From what we could see, the son was taking her entire pension and maybe gave her $20 here and there for food,” Miss Murray said. “It appeared the pension was being spent on gaming and substance abuse.”

While Miss Murray and Mrs Newton were supporting the client to pack what few personal belongings she had for emergency respite, the client confided in the pair that her son had previously physically assaulted her.

Mrs Newtown recalled her fears for their safety on the day the client was relocated. “The son was shouting at us: ‘You are not taking my mum anywhere!’,” she said.

The HammondCare Foundation funded purchase of a new wardrobe and toiletries after she left the home. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) estimates between 2 per cent and 14 per cent of older Australians are subject to elder abuse.

In 2017-18, the most recent figure available, 10,900 calls were made to elder abuse helplines and emotional and financial abuse were the most common forms of harm in those calls.