Heule (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A student worker at De Branding in Heule was filmed hitting a resident, prompting an investigation by VAPH and the healthcare inspectorate. In Meerspoort, Oudenaarde, 4 people were arrested for theft and mistreatment of residents.
At De Branding in Heule, Belgium, a student worker was caught on video hitting a resident. The VAPH mentioned that this is very upsetting. The VAPH is angry and is investigating if there are problems with how the nursing home is run.
People are worried about how well elderly people are being cared for in nursing homes. They want more rules, better training for staff, and ways to stop this from happening again. People want to make sure elderly people are treated with respect and kindness.
“We will investigate whether the facility has made sufficient efforts to prevent inappropriate behaviour.”
Liesbeth Van Houdt, from the VAPH
Is VAPH doing enough to investigate abuse in Heule and Oudenaarde?
Liesbeth Van Houdt of the Flemish Agency for People with Disabilities (VAPH) emphasized that nursing homes are supposed to tell the VAPH if there is abuse or mistreatment. De Branding in Heule did this. The VAPH is checking to see if the nursing home did everything like calling the police right away.
The police are already investigating. The VAPH wants to know if the nursing home followed the rules and did the right things. The VAPH wants to make sure that everything was done correctly after the nursing home reported the incident. They are making sure the police are informed on time and that all the right steps are taken.
The VAPH is looking into how De Branding in Heule prevents abuse from happening in the first place. They want to know if staff are trained to spot and stop abuse. They also want to know if the nursing home did enough to make sure abuse wouldn’t happen. They are also looking at how the nursing home helped the resident who was hurt and their family after the incident.
The Flemish healthcare inspectorate will help with this review. They want to make sure everything is done correctly. If they find problems, they might suggest changes to protect people in nursing homes across the area.
“The health care inspectorate already visited on Thursday. A report must now be drawn up. All parties can then view this report and respond to it. Our agency is now also filing a civil claim so that we can follow up on the investigation,”
Says Liesbeth Van Houdt.
There were problems at 2 nursing homes in Belgium. Meerspoort in Oudenaarde and De Branding in Heule. Elderly people were treated badly. People are angry. The management of the homes and the Flemish Agency for People with Disabilities are investigating.
At Meerspoort, 4 people were arrested. They are suspected of stealing, watching people without their permission, and mistreating residents. A student worker was caught stealing jewellery. His phone had videos of residents being treated badly.
The videos were shared on WhatsApp. The student worker, his brother, another man, and a woman were arrested. The city of Oudenaarde is shocked and wants a full investigation. They want to make sure the nursing home is safe and respectful.
