Pandora and Tory
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
‘In my client's room – she is a heavy wetter – as soon as you walk in you get the stench of urine. To tell you the honest truth, I wouldn't even put my dog in there.’
Tory is a disability support worker and nurse in Queensland. A couple of years ago, she started working at a group home for people with intellectual disability.
During her employment, Tory observed many ‘failures’ in ‘the duty of care to protect the residents at the home’. She was particularly concerned about Pandora, a First Nations woman in her late 40s – they’d ‘become friends’.
The only male resident was ‘constantly bullying and harassing’ Pandora and ‘putting fear into her’. She’d been incontinent ever since, Tory said.
‘One day I witnessed … that her [continence] aid was not changed for the full day and she had dry faecal matter stuck to her bottom and broken skin around her rectum area.’
Tory believes Pandora let staff know she needed changing, but they ignored her.
‘Even though [she] speaks one-word sentences, she will tell you … "Dirty, dirty". She's repetitive.’
Pandora had not seen a dentist for two years until Tory took her.
‘She kept saying "sore, sore, sore" … The dentist at the hospital found out that she had a big abscess in her front tooth.’
Many clients ‘missed medical appointments’ due to lack of staff. Tory said Pandora had none of her ‘internal checks’.
‘There was a lot of neglect.’
Staff gave clients expired medications and didn’t keep ‘medication records’. Once, a worker ‘left another client's medication out on the counter unattended’, and Pandora ‘came along and swallowed them’. She was under observation in hospital for 24 hours.
Tory said the ‘abuse and neglect’ at the home was widespread. One day, a resident ‘collapsed due to severe dehydration’, because there was ‘not enough water or fluids given in the home’. Staff weren’t brushing residents’ teeth – one woman had ‘no teeth left’ as a result.
The home was filthy, Tory said.
‘I seen cockroaches coming out of the toaster, dirty dishes coming out of the dishwasher … The cleanliness of the rooms were absolutely putrid.’
About a year ago, Pandora fell in the shower as ‘there were no grab rails or anti-slip mats’. Staff ‘didn't do anything’.
‘The next morning, when I came back on shift … [Pandora] come to me, "Sore, sore". I personally had to go call the ambulance.’
Pandora’s hand was fractured.
Pandora made complaints of ‘inappropriate touching’ by the male resident. ‘I have found bite marks on her body, bruises on her body,’ Tory said.
But Tory said written reports she’d made of all these incidents ‘mysteriously disappeared’. They’d ‘either been ripped up or shredded’. She ended up reporting them to the provider and ‘escalated the matters to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission’.
The provider fired Tory.
‘I was informed that I have breached privacy and confidentiality. To my understanding, duty of care overrides [that].’
The provider ‘banned’ Tory from visiting the house and she became increasingly concerned for Pandora’s safety.
‘She wanted me to come in and read her stories … She didn't understand … and she just started crying.’
Tory fought to get Pandora out of the home.
‘I found a unit for her and she has myself and five other carers that look after her 24/7.’
As Pandora’s ‘long-time family friend’, she now has enduring power of attorney.
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.