Day 4 – Monday 13 May

The fourth day of the Royal Commission's Sydney hearings continued the focus on care for people with dementia. Counsel Assisting, Ms Brooke Hutchins opened the hearing with the introduction of a fourth case study involving Mrs DE, a resident at BUPA Aged Care Willoughby. The first two witnesses were the daughters of Mrs DE who gave direct evidence about their mother's care. The third and final witness for the case study was Ms Maureen Berry, Executive Clinical Advisor of BUPA Aged Care. Following the case study, Mr Glenn Rees, Chair of Alzheimer's Disease International, spoke of Australia's policy response to the WHO Global Action Plan on the Public Health Response to Dementia. Ms Amy Tinley then gave evidence of her experience at Brian King Gardens Nursing Home, where she had authorised the administration of mirtazapine to a resident without obtaining consent from their GP.

Day 5 – Tuesday 14 May

On the fifth day of the Royal Commission's Sydney hearings, a panel of witnesses comprising representatives of various aged care providers gave evidence, including Lucy O'Flaherty, CEO of Glenview; Jennifer Lawrence, CEO of Brightwater Care Group; and Tamar Krebs and Jonathan Gavshon, Co-CEOs of Group Homes Australia. These witnesses explored what constitutes good practice for people living with dementia in the context of residential aged care. A second panel of witnesses, consisting of Professor Constance Dimity Pond, Professor Elizabeth Beattie, Associate Professor Lynette Golberg and Dr Peter Foltyn, gave evidence about access to allied health services. The final witness was Professor Brendan Francis Murphy, Chief Medical Officer for the Australian Government, who responded to Mr Glenn Rees' evidence concerning Australia's response to WHO recommendations and conceded that the current regime falls short of the recommendations made by the WHO.

Day 6 – Wednesday 15 May

Day six of the Sydney hearings heard from another panel of witnesses, this time focusing on experiences of those working in residential aged care facilities. A Registered Nurse, a retired Diversional Therapist and two Assistants-in-Nursing discussed their experiences working in aged care facilities, emphasising the need for all staff in residential facilities to understand the issues confronting residents with dementia and stressed the need for increased empathy in dealing with residents. The fifth witness for the day, Dr Juanita Westbury, gave evidence about the prescription of psychotropic medication and the final witness, Associate Professor Stephen Macfarlane, Head of Clinical Services for Dementia Centre at Hammond Care, gave evidence on the strong link between inadequate staff training and substandard care.

Day 7 – Thursday 16 May

The seventh day of the Sydney hearings heard from four witnesses, the first being Professor Joseph Ibrahim who had conducted research into the number of deaths of nursing home residents that had been reported to the Coroner over a fourteen year period. The Executive Director of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, Ms Christina Bolger then gave evidence on the way risk profiling is carried out in relation to the overuse of psychotropic drugs in aged care facilities. Ms Amy Laffan, Assistant Secretary in the Department of Health, then spoke about upcoming changes regarding the use of restrictive practices. The final witness, Ms Josephine Mond, Assistant Secretary of the Dementia and Supported Ageing Branch of the Residential and Flexible Aged Care Division of the Commonwealth Department of Health, gave evidence regarding dementia policy and conceded that timely diagnosis of dementia needs to be improved.

Day 8 – Friday 17 May

Day 8, and the final day of the Sydney Hearings, heard from three witnesses. The first witness, Professor Henry Brodaty AO, gave evidence about his research into person-centred care. The second witness, Mr Trevor Douglas Crosby, gave direct evidence of living with dementia. The third and final witness, Kate Swaffer gave evidence about her experience being diagnosed with younger-onset dementia, as well as her role as the Chair and CEO of Dementia Alliance International. Finally, Senior Counsel Assisting Mr Peter Gray QC delivered his closing address, detailing five lasting impressions that had emerged from the evidence.