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Archiver > AUS-VIC > 2000-05 > 0957333487


From: "Kathleen Dacey" <>
Subject: Mount Royal
Date: Tue, 02 May 2000 22:58:07 PDT


I visited Mount Royal many times during 1959. It was a nursing home for the
aged, but I believe there was a section (Mont Park??) separate to Mount
Royal for psychiatric patients. Mount Royal consisted of huge"hangar" type
wards with row upon row of beds with patients who never seemed to have a
visitor, and were always in their beds (found out why later) Having a close
relative placed there for short term care, I was appalled at the conditions
and noted it only took 24 hours before the "nursing" staff strapped my
relative into the bed - his crime? trying to feed a meal to the poor man
next to him who could not hold a spoon. Bottles of drink were left for my
relative who would tell me how thirsty he was. the drinks were taken away as
soon as I left by the "staff" (they didn't want him to "spill" the drink).
Even all these years later, I could cry as I recall the circumstances these
poor folk were left in. Most staff were newly arrived in Australia,
speaking little or no English, there was one nursing staff member in the
ward, and one had to speak to her to make oneself understood. What chance
the patients?

I am sure there was considerable publicity surrounding this "home" in the
early to mid 1960's, when two nursing staff decided to make public the
disgraceful conditions, and lack of treatment or care for the patients. This
made headlines in Melbourne for a few days.


>From:
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>To:
>Subject: AUS-VIC-D Digest V00 #129
>Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 08:19:15 -0700
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