China aged care abuse: man who died from unknown cause was beaten and tied to a wheelchair by his carer, video reveals
- Chinese nursing care homes had about 8.3 million beds as of the end of last year, meaning that there were only three beds for every 100 elderly people
- In one recent case an elderly woman was given double the recommended dose of a medication that was expired
The case of a 68-year-old man who was allegedly slapped in the face and strapped to his wheelchair before dying in a nursing home in northeastern China has reignited concerns over the vulnerability of senior citizens in long-term care facilities.
The man, surnamed Li, was having difficulty walking and was sent to the nursing home in Shenyang, Liaoning province, about seven weeks ago and died on June 30, from unknown causes, Star Video under Changsha Television reported on Tuesday.
Surveillance footage later allegedly revealed that his carer had been abusing him in the lead up to his death, including slapping him in the face, pushing his head, and tying him up in his wheelchair; his son, who was only identified by his surname Li, claimed in the report.
“They texted me in the early morning saying my father stopped breathing. I was really shocked, because just a couple of days before they took my father to participate in an activity, and he looked very well,” the son said. His father didn’t have any chronic diseases, he added.
Footage released by the son appeared to show Li being beaten by his carer on several occasions while in his bed and in his wheelchair. He was also seen strapping Li to the chair to keep him restrained.