Dr. Shelley Crawford, an OT who assisted patients with learning or physical disabilities in preparing to resettle into the community, said she raised concerns over patients' finances during her time at the hospital.
When Dr. Crawford first joined the hospital, she was surprised by the culture and lack of occupational therapy services, which had not been offered for 30 years. She noted that staff were initially skeptical about patients' ability to cope on their own in the community.
Dr. Crawford and her colleague reported witnessing incidents of mistreatment and inappropriate behavior by staff, but their concerns were dismissed by the ward manager. She also expressed concerns about patients purchasing their own chairs when their needs required special chairs, believing it bordered on financial abuse.
While Dr. Crawford acknowledged the presence of supportive staff, she also noted that some staff members seemed less committed to the patients. She left the hospital in 2015, fearing she might become institutionalized.
The inquiry into abuse at Muckamore Abbey Hospital aims to uncover the extent of the mistreatment and neglect that occurred at the facility.