Dementia Care

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Vol 5 No 3 June/July 2016 Australian Journal of Dementia Care 9
seek a medical assessment from
the care home’s attending GP
and are directed to the Victorian
Electoral Commission website
for more information about
their responsibilities in the
voting process.
I’ve recently presented
education sessions to the leisure
and lifestyle team explaining
residents’ rights and
responsibilities, our
responsibilities as an aged care
provider and those of the
family around voting, how staff
should support residents who
are able to vote, and informing
the team that a diagnosis of
dementia does not necessarily
mean that a resident is unable
to vote.
The Australian Electoral
Commission website
provides information about
support for people who require
assistance to vote including the
elderly, people with dementia,
disabilities, visual impairment,
non-literate people and people
from culturally diverse
backgrounds. The elector can
choose a person to assist them
and if they cannot sign they
may make a mark that can then
be verified. Postal voting and
mobile voting stations provide
access for people living in
residential aged care and are
supported by The Australian
Electoral Commission. Mobile
polling facilities can be set up in
aged care homes, hospitals,
prisons and remote areas of
Australia prior to and on
election day.
Riverlea reflections
Riverlea is a 75-bed BlueCross
aged care residence in the
western suburbs of Melbourne.
Over the past 12 months
Riverlea has actively worked to
improve the experiences of
people living with dementia
using the BlueCross STARLife
model to promote ‘Living,
Independence, Fulfilment and
Engagement’.
Faye Audino, the residence
manager, estimates that at least
50% of Riverlea residents have
some cognitive impairment and
recognises that supporting all
residents to vote is essential.
“Our residents that attend
the STARLife Club have
reached a stage in their
dementia where they would be
unable to vote, but there are a
number of residents with some
cognitive impairment that we
can support to exercise their
voting rights,” Faye said.
Riverlea is currently
participating in a Shaping
Montessori Communities
workplace program run by
Alzheimer’s Australia Victoria
and supported by BlueCross.
Seeking the views of the
residents and families is a key
principle of the Shaping
Montessori Communities
approach and in keeping with
this, when it comes time to vote
in the Federal election, eligible
residents will be offered the
choice of lodging a postal vote,
going to a polling station or
using the mobile voting stations
which will be set up at the
home.
Lifestyle coordinator Corinne
Dowsett says the Riverlea staff
are more prepared this year to
support residents to vote,
compared with the 2014
Victorian state election.
“We didn’t get it right last
time. Anumber of residents
were still on the electoral roll
although they did not appear to
have the capacity to make
decisions and choices. Some
were adamant that they wanted
to vote and staff attempted to
support them but this led to a
confusing and negative
experience in some cases.
However, other residents who
were able to vote despite
having some cognitive
impairment were supported to
vote and with guidance about
the process of using the mobile
polling stations these residents
were able to make decisions
and choices.”
“This year we are more
prepared and hope we are able
to support those who are able
to vote and that any residents
who do not have the capacity to
vote do not participate in a
negative experience. We are
talking to residents and
relatives and hope that we are
able to support their choices
whenever possible.”
Riverlea resident Joan Senior
(who does not have dementia)
says it’s important to ensure
that all Australians are listened
to: “We must have a say in what
happens in our country”. When
Joan first came to Riverlea she
was unwell and did not really
think very much about voting.
However, at election time when
she realised she was listed on
the electoral roll at her previous
address her daughter drove her
to a polling station so she could
vote. She then changed her
address on the register to
Riverlea. In the last Victorian
State election Joan voted at the
mobile polling station arranged
by the team at Riverlea and
described this as a positive
experience.
Jean Nunn, another Riverlea
resident, does not have
dementia but acknowledged
there were others living there
who may need extra support to
vote, as “every vote makes a
difference”. She and her
daughter Diane Niblock said
that the mobile voting station
provided at Riverlea during the
Victorian state election gave
residents the opportunity to
vote without having to travel to
the polling station.
Conclusion
The experience at Riverlea
reflects the views contained in
the literature that voting is
important to citizens of all ages,
with the home’s residents,
families and staff valuing the
support given to residents to
exercise their right to vote.
While responsibility for voting
lies with residents and their
representatives, there are many
things that BlueCross has done
to assist our residents and their
families with this. There have
been significant improvements
in the knowledge of the leisure
and lifestyle teams and
residence managers around
residents’ right to vote and how
to support this.
The leisure and lifestyle
teams and senior managers
have taken a proactive
approach to supporting the
process and are prepared for
the July Federal election.
This year staff are confident
that residents’ medical
assessments are up to date and
the majority of resident
addresses on the electoral
register have been updated.
Across the organisation the
leadership team and I are
continuing to review
consumer rights for people
living with dementia and
supporting our residents to
exercise their right to vote in
elections is an important part
of that process.
References
Aged Care Quality Agency (1997)
Aged Care Accreditation Standards,
fact sheet. Accessed 30/04/15.
Available at:
Alzheimer’s Australia (2015)
Intergenerational report highlights
need to act on dementia. Media
release, 5 March. Accessed:
31/03/15. Available at:
Australian Electoral Commission
(2015) Change of address webpage.
Accessed: 30/04/15. Available at:
address.htm.
Bonnie R, Freedman P, Guterbock T
(2013) Voting by senior citizens in
long-term care facilities. Election Law
Journal 12(3) 293-304.
Irastorza L, Corujo P, Banuelos P
(2011) Capacity to vote in persons
with dementia and the elderly.
International Journal of Alzheimer’s
Disease 2011 1-6.
Karlawish J, Bonnie R, Appelbaum P,
Knopman D (2008) Identifying the
barriers and challenges to voting by
residents in nursing homes and
assisted living. Journal of Ageing and
Social Policy 20(1) 65-79.
McEldowney R, Teaster P (2009)
Land of the free, home of the brave:
voting accommodations for older
adults. Journal of Ageing and Social
Policy 21(2) 159-171.
Regan P (2011) Patient participation
in public elections: a literature review.
Nursing Management 17(10) 32-36.
Tiraboschi P, Chito E, Sacco L, Sala
M, Stfanini S, Defanti C (2011)
Evaluating voting competence in
persons with Alzheimer Disease.
International Journal of Alzheimer’s
Disease 10 1-6.
Victorian Electoral Commission
(2015) How to vote webpage.
Accessed: 30/04/15. Available at:
te.html.
Bridget Howes is
the BlueCross
STARLife Dementia
Specialist
(BlueCross
Community and
Residential
Services). Contact
her at: