The peak body for psychiatrists wants more accommodation for older West Australians with severe behavioural disturbances after an 88-year-old man with worsening dementia was accused of fatally stabbing his wife.
A murder charge against John Huggins over the death of his 75-year-old wife at their Piara Waters home in March was dismissed last week as he will never be fit to plea.
Huggins, who was cared for by his wife of 56 years, remains in a secure ward at a hospital that caters for older adults with mental health issues and is waiting for a room at one of two dementia-specific nursing homes in Perth.
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists WA branch chair Elizabeth Moore said there was a significant shortage of high dependency accommodation for elderly people with severe behavioural disturbances in WA, with only 16 beds available.
"At present, elderly people with severe mental health issues are accommodated as long-stay patients in acute mental health units while they wait for up to two years for a bed in a high dependency unit at a residential aged care facility," she said on Monday.
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"This is unacceptable and has significant implications, not just for patients, but also for their families and carers."
Dr Moore called on the state government to invest in more beds and new purpose-built infrastructure to care for the needs of such vulnerable patients.
While it has flagged adding 10 new long-stay beds for older adults, modelling suggests about 90 beds are needed to cope with demand.
