Organisational abuse
Organisational abuse includes neglect, poor care practice within an institution or specific care setting such as a hospital or care home and poor practice in relation to care provided in one's own home. This may range from one off incidents to ongoing ill-treatment. It can be through neglect or poor professional practice as a result of the structure, policies, processes and practices within an organisation.
The following list includes some indicators of ‘possible’ organisational abuse:
- Batch care – lack of individual care programmes
- Deprived environmental conditions and lack of stimulation
- Illegal confinement or restrictions
- Inappropriate care of possessions, clothing and living area
- Inappropriate physical intervention
- Inappropriate use of medical procedures such as enemas, catheterisation
- Inappropriate use of power or control
- Inflexible services based on convenience of the provider rather than the person receiving services
- Lack of personal clothes and belongings
- No flexibility in bedtime routine and/or deliberate waking
- People left on a commode or toilet for long periods of time
- People referred to, or spoken to with disrespect
- Service user removed from the home or establishment, without discussion with other appropriate people or agencies because staff are unable to manage the behaviour
- Un-homely or stark living environments.