Carmel
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Carmel is an experienced social worker and support coordinator working in the disability sector.
She told the Royal Commission about two of her clients and their recent experiences in the health and justice systems.
Nisi is blind and has mild cognitive disability.
When Nisi and Carmel first met, she was living with a man who was physically, emotionally and sexually abusing her and her daughter. She was ‘in a desperate state’.
Carmel tried to help Nisi and her daughter get out of the house and get the police to intervene. But the barriers she faced were ‘phenomenal’.
‘In Queensland,’ Carmel said, ‘third-party organisations are unable to put an application in to get a protection order to protect people who have psychological injuries or have a limited capacity.’
Nisi had to apply for a protection order, which took time and was ‘difficult’. Carmel found the delay intolerable – Nisi was being ‘subjected to violence on a daily basis’.
Carmel believes the Queensland government needs to change the law.
‘This is a phenomenon that I still can't understand, and the police have got their hands tied.’
Another client, Fi, had an acquired brain injury (ABI) as a result of falling off a balcony.
Her behaviours were ‘quite volatile’ and most staff were not sufficiently trained to support her.
Carmel got to know Fi over many months and noticed her behaviours becoming more violent and frequent.
She suspected ‘something was wrong’ and took Fi to hospital.
Hospital staff wouldn’t investigate, telling her that Fi’s behaviours were the result of her ABI.
Carmel knew that wasn’t the case and requested an MRI. The hospital refused.
‘We were begging … and they put this lady aside.’
Carmel encouraged Fi’s family to implement Ryan’s Rule – a Queensland law allowing family members to request immediate medical intervention.
‘When that was implemented, everyone came down. She had an MRI and it was found that she had atrophy of the brain and, subsequently, she passed away in two weeks.’
This was when Carmel lost faith in hospital system.
‘This is when I found out how the hospital treats people with a disability who have behaviours of concern.’
Carmel feels Fi’s quality of life could have been so much better.
‘They're excluding any medical intervention – just passing it off, "No, no, that's just part of [the ABI]." And in this particular case, this woman suffered, really suffered in the end.’
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.