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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1134251/1/.html Nursing home mistreats patient Posted: 09 June 2011 2002 hrs SINGAPORE: The Nightingale Nursing Home along Braddell Road has been suspended with effect from April 12, from admitting new patients, after some of its staff members were found to have mistreated a resident there. The incident came to light after Channel NewsAsia alerted the Ministry of Health to a video, taken by a hidden camera on a patient's bedside. The video showed an elderly woman patient sitting next to a bed without any clothes, while the ceiling fans in the room were on. After a while, two staff members were shown lifting the patient and throwing her onto a bed. In one footage, a staff member was shown slapping the patient after she moaned in pain. The old lady has been a resident of the home for the past four years. The nursing home said it has disciplined the staff involved, and placed additional measures such as getting senior staff to visit the wards and checking the conduct of its staff. The measures also include holding regular meetings with patients and their family members. In its reply to Channel NewsAsia, the Ministry of Health said: "There were significant lapses in the care standards provided to the patient in question. "This should not have happened. There should have been tighter supervision of staff rendering care to vulnerable patients. Patients' dignity and respect must be upheld at all times". A family member of the patient said: "Of course we are unhappy with the incident. "We sent her there for the nurses to take care of her; we're disappointed with what happened. "There are other old folks at the home. We hope by bringing this matter up, it will help to improve things at the home. "We have since moved our mother to another nursing home". The Ministry of Health said it will closely monitor the nursing home to ensure all additional measures required of it are properly implemented and subsequently ascertain if the suspension imposed on the home should be reviewed or further sanctions imposed. It said: "Our inspectors regularly check that all nursing homes are properly maintained, keep their patient records in order and institute effective infection control measures. "Nursing home operators are also required to maintain care standards on medication administration, fall prevention, housekeeping, etc. "Nursing homes that do not meet the required standards or which require closer monitoring for any other reason will be subject to more regular audits. MOH will also guide them on how to improve their performance". -CNA/wk