Kia and Sheena
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.
Kia is in her 40s and has an intellectual disability, anxiety and depression. Recently, she moved out of her group home to live with her sister, Sheena.
Sheena said Kia ‘didn’t feel safe’ with the service provider she’s lived with for most of her life.
‘Other than meals or when she was showered, she really wouldn't come out of her bedroom because she was so afraid of the staff.’
‘They would never talk to me or say anything to me,’ said Kia. ‘I was scared especially of [one support worker] … she was a bit scary that woman at the house.’
Kia’s support workers were intimidating.
One day, one of them punched Kia.
‘He had a bit of a temper and he punched me,’ said Kia. ‘I ran away from him because he scared me.’
Another time a support worker exposed himself to Kia. He wasn’t sacked.
Sheena said in the past few years support workers have neglected Kia. They failed to help her shower, take her medication or eat healthily.
‘Soft drinks every single day,’ said Sheena. ‘[Kia] is unfortunately obese. We have heart disease in our family. I had multiple, multiple, multiple meetings begging them to please stop doing that.’
‘I was basically every day going out for takeaway and they would take me out for McDonald's, KFC, all that,’ said Kia.
‘She had a blood test recently,’ said Sheena. ‘She's got a fatty liver, high cholesterol. Her health is really not good. I also found out … [Kia] hasn't seen a dentist in four years!’
Kia would visit at Sheena’s house. When it was time to return to the group home, Kia often refused to go.
‘Sometimes she'd get knives and say she was going to commit suicide. She'd run out into the street and the traffic. They knew all of this. And sometimes I literally couldn't get [Kia] to go back it just got so bad.’
When she did return, Sheena often stayed to clean.
‘Meanwhile there'd be two staff members on sitting there watching TV. And I'd be doing things like organising her clothes, her laundry, I cleaned her room … this was all while staff was on.’
One night Kia was in severe pain, but she was afraid to tell the support worker because he ‘hadn’t been very nice’ to her.
‘She didn't even feel comfortable telling a staff member “I'm in severe pain.” That's how bad the relationship was.’
The next day Kia went to hospital where doctors removed her gall bladder. With the help of an advocate, Sheena sacked the service provider and brought Kia home to live with her.
‘We're turning it around now. Like, she's been seeing a dietician. We've got a very good GP … And she's not feeling emotionally abused and unsafe. Do you feel better now, [Kia]?’
‘I do,’ said Kia. ‘I feel a lot better.’
‘You don't do that as a sister if you have another option,’ Sheena told the Royal Commission. ‘I mean I love her, I'm happy to do it. But I'm saying this is the last resort. Because over the 20 plus years [the service provider] are a law unto themselves. There's nowhere to turn.’
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.