An elderly New Zealand man died within three months of moving into a specialist dementia unit where he suffered a significant loss of dignity and rapid physical deterioration, a watchdog has found.
The man, who was a lifelong vegetarian, was repeatedly served meat and fish, had his beard shaved off against his documented preferences, and was left in severe pain due to a failure by staff to properly administer medication before his death in April 2023.
Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner Rose Wall found Bupa Care Services NZ Limited in breach of the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights for failing to provide an adequate standard of care to the vulnerable resident.
The man, identified only as Mr B, was aged in his early 70s and had a history of vascular dementia with a hypoxic brain injury. He was admitted to the Bupa specialist dementia unit in January 2023 following a hospital stay for injuries from a fall at a previous facility.
During his short residency, Mr B's whānau raised multiple concerns regarding his care planning, nutrition, falls management, and pain relief.
