Disabled dying in care: NSW Ombudsman

PEOPLE with disabilities are unnecessarily dying in state funded accommodation services or licensed boarding houses, a report has found.

The NSW Ombudsman says 220 disabled people died while in care in 2010 and 2011.

Some of them were preventable even though the risks "could reasonably have been foreseen", the report by NSW Ombudsman Bruce Barbour tabled in parliament on Wednesday found.

Those risks included choking, traffic awareness, smoking and obesity, Mr Barbour said.

"Health and disability services do not always recognise the serious health and safety risks faced by people with disabilities in care," he said in a statement.

Other risks included staff not recognising when people had become critically ill and required urgent medical assistance.

Mr Barbour urged carers to address lifestyle-related health risks such as obesity and poor diet and help minimise resistance to health procedures and medical treatment.

"Our reviews point to the need for a strong, continuing commitment to improve the health outcomes of people with disabilities in care, and to reduce preventable deaths," Mr Barbour said.

Out of the 220 people who died, 97 lived in accommodation operated by Ageing, Disability and Home Care (ADHC) while 98 lived in non-government accommodation funded by ADHC.

Twenty-five of them lived in licensed boarding houses.

The average age at death of the people in state funded disability accommodation services was 30 years younger than the general population, Mr Barbour said.

In licensed boarding houses it was 16 years younger than the general population.

Disability Minister Andrew Constance said any preventable death was a tragedy.

He said ADHC had made significant progress since 2011 but conceded work still needed to be done to ensure that vulnerable people lead long and healthy lives.

"I take this report very seriously, and I have asked ADHC to respond to the recommendations in the report within the timeframes recommended by the ombudsman.

"The report reminds us there will always be more to do in ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of people with disability in care," he added.

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