Organisational abuse and Discriminatory Abuse

Organisational abuse can typically occur in a care home, nursing home, acute hospital or in patients home setting.

It can be caused by the regimentation of residents or of the individuals that are supported and the rules and regimes can be oppressive and abusive.

Organisational abuse can also be in the forms of:

• Lack of choice
• Lack of privacy
• Lack of respect
• Lack of dignity

Organisational abuse indicators include:

• Low staffing levels
• Lack of staff training or low staff morale
• Poor treatment of the residents or individuals
• Staff ordering residents or individuals around
• Opening mail, controlling phone calls or restricting visitors; or by providing no stimulation or interaction
• Discriminatory abuse can be, harassment or treating people different as a result of their age, sex, sexuality, language, culture or religion, it may also be related to politics, hair colour, environment, disability, fashion or just about anything.

Discrimination abuse indicators are observing:

• Racial harassment
• Isolation due to language barriers
• Ignorance due to a person’s cultural, dietary or religious beliefs
• Deliberate isolation due to a person’s size or sexuality and distasteful remarks are also discriminatory abuse.