Bermuda needs laws to protect seniors and a more powerful lobbying group according to advocate Glenn Wachter

Speaking to a packed conference on Saturday, Mr. Wachter, the deputy long term care ombudsman for Oregon, told attendees at the Silver Revolution at the Hamilton Princess that the elderly wielded enormous political power in a country where elections were decided on a tiny amount of votes.

He said: “There's no definition of abuse or neglect of seniors in law right now. If we don't have a definition of it we cannot protect you.

“You have to stand for that and refer that to the lawmakers. There needs to be some advocacy around regulations.

“Hold government accountable to its promises. Don't allow seniors to become invisible. Make them invincible.”

The America Association for Retired People was the single most powerful lobbying group in the world with 37 million members said Mr. Wachter and Bermuda needed a similar lobby to lever the power of the Island's growing number of seniors.

He told the conference, organised by the United Bermuda Party, that it was surprising how much abuse seniors would put up with because they think they don't have other options.

Bermuda needed an ombudsman to tackle such issues said Mr. Wachter who said he believed Government was about to bring in laws for this very soon.

Ombudsmen independently investigate facilities and cases of abuse said Mr. Wachter who expressed concern about the way bedrails were used in facilities here.

He told The Royal Gazette they did not stop seniors from falling out of bed but merely added to the height of the fall.

Lower beds and mattresses were the answer as well as more attentive supervision.

He said in the US residents of long-term seniors institutions are required to have panic buttons or alarms for patients to signal they need attention.

He raised the case of Elsie Bascome who broke her hip in the Packwood Home, which she had help found, but it was not diagnosed until 13 days later.

She had surgery but it was too late and she died in June this year, aged 100.

Her daughter, Barbara Clemons, is calling for Government to launch a commission of inquiry into the incident after railing against the poor quality care her mother had received.

She said: “There was not protocol or method for handling the situation.”

Mrs. Clemons, of Dayton, Ohio, wants regulations tightened after saying nursing homes should not be left to police themselves but those in charge should be held accountable.

“The administrator at the time could not tell me what had happened.”

She said someone had told her later her mother had been sliding off her wheelchair like a rag doll.

“Someone in the course of two weeks should have been able to determine something was wrong, when it was wrong. To call an ambulance.”

Ms Bascome was eventually taken to hospital by another daughter.

“My concern is it should not have happened. You cannot say accidents won't happen but it was the manner it was handled,” said Mrs. Clemons.

She said her mother also had bed sores which are easily avoidable with proper care.

Mrs. Clemons had expressed concerns about the Packwood home earlier but said her mother wanted to be there because she had helped build the home.

She said the people in charge have since changed.