The DSC (Disability Services Commissioner) 2018 annual report and review of disability service provision to people who have died 2017–18 was tabled in Victorian Parliament on the 19/12/2018. The review is their first ever. It reveals significant failures by some disability service providers to meet their obligations under the Disability Act 2006 (the Act).
With assistance from the Coroners Court of Victoria, they have obtained information about the cause or preliminary cause of death for 48 of the 88 deaths that were in scope for their review.
The preliminary cause of death for three of the 48 deaths was attributed to the person choking on food and a further seven deaths to aspiration pneumonia, a life-threatening but often avoidable infection caused by inhaling food, fluid, saliva or vomit into the lungs.
Below is another link to the electronic letter sent by Arthur Rogers, the Disability Services Commissioner, on 21 November 2018 to Victorian disability service providers regarding systemic issues arising from the review of disability service provision to people who have died.
Download report (off-site)Read letter (off-site)- Topics:
- Human Rights, Service providers
- Author:
- DSC (Disability Services Commissioner)
- Date published:
- Thu 20th Dec, 2018