Residents at old folks homes in Sabah were sleeping with mosquitos, bathing with cold water, not fed beyond 5pm and made to eat food that they could not chew or were bad for them.

There was also no record of medication being administered at one of the three homes audited, the Auditor-General’s Report 2011 says.

“The audit found that 81 of the 150 residents suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, hypercholesterolymia, gout, etc.

NONE

“The audit cannot verify if medication was administered for the residents at the Air Panas, Tawau home as there were no records of such,” it reads.

The report notes that the officer in charge had informed auditors that he did not realise the need to make records of medication administered.

Residents at the Sri Harapan home in Sandakan and Sri Pritchard home in Papar were also not fed beyond 5pm, although the welfare department’s guideline states that supper is to be served between 9 to 9.30pm.

NONE The department’s guideline states that breakfast be served at 7am, morning tea at 10am, lunch at 12.30pm, afternoon tea at 3.30pm, dinner at 6.30pm and supper at 9pm.

No morning tea is served at Air Panas and Sri Harapan, while dinner and supper are served one hour apart at the latter home.

A Queen Elizabeth Hospital dietician consulted in the audit also found that the food served were unsuitable for the elderly and sickly, for example:

  • Food were either too hard or too large, making it difficult for those without teeth and those who have trouble breathing to chew and swallow; and
  • High calorie and fatty food were served to those dealing with heart complications and obesity.
Handrails, mosquito nets and water heaters absent

NONE Windows in the some sleeping quarters in Sri Harapan cannot be shut and no mosquito netting was installed there or at Sri Pritchard.

The buildings were also found to be unkempt and dilapidated, while no handrails were installed in several of the toilets and walkways to avoid slippage.

In Air Panas, the residents bathed with cold water in what appeared to be a communal bathroom with no cubicles, while water heaters were also absent in the Sri Pritchard bathrooms.

The audit found that the 150 residents were attended to by nine nurses and 42 assistants.

NONE Equipment meant to provide relaxation for the residents were found unused, like the RM238,600 snoezelen room in Sri Pritchard which features a massage chair and an Infinity and Beyond panel.

A snoozelen room is a controlled multisensory environment room used in therapy for people with autism, developmental disabilities, brain injuries and dementia.

In response, the welfare department said that the room is not in use as the therapist has retired and the department’s application for a replacement has not been granted.

NONE The department spent a total RM4.16 million on old folks homes for the years 2009 to 2011.

Meanwhile, the audit also found that the housing and urban development council paid RM2.32 million for a project which has been abandoned by a contractor.

It also paid RM3.81 million for infrastructure works like drainage for five projects but the projects have not taken place.

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