‘If they die quickly, we think it’s a good job done’

Consultant specialist in geriatric medicine Professor Joseph Ibrahim fronted the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety earlier this month.
In a confronting 40-minute appearance, he questioned what residential aged care had become in Australia, describing it as little more than a warehouse, stripping those nearing the end of their lives of human dignity.
Below is an edited version of his evidence.
“Residential aged care is a place where older people should be able to go and enjoy their life.