A federally-funded CCTV trial in residential aged care homes alerted staff to so many incidents it became "a case of the boy who cried wolf", South Australia's Health Minister says.
The 12-month trial was looking into the potential of CCTV being used in both common areas and bedrooms in aged care facilities after cameras planted by family members had exposed abuse.
The cameras, which incorporated artificial intelligence technology designed to detect falls and screams, were installed following cases of elder abuse and neglect, and shocking findings from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
SA Health Minister Chris Picton said the Australian-first one-year trial, conducted at two South Australian aged care homes, alerted staff to 12,000 false incidents, which he labelled "completely unacceptable".
"That meant that staff had to respond time after time after time to false reports alerting from this system; that meant that they were taking time away from caring for patients at the bedside," Mr Picton said.
The report found that in the final months of the $785,000 trial, staff could not respond to every alert, resulting in at least one instance where staff did not respond to an actual fall.
"The report notes that where there were some cases of actual true reports that were noted, it meant that staff weren't responding to them because it became a case of the boy who cried wolf," Mr Picton said.
"If you've got so many false reports, that when there's one actual true one, then you're not necessarily going to give that the priority that it needs."
Automatic alerts overwhelmed staff
The artificial intelligence technology used at Mount Pleasant District Hospital and Northgate House captured video and audio and alerted sites when excessive sounds or movements were detected.
But the system mistakenly set off an alert when staff would crouch or bend down to care for residents.
The report noted that, in the context of staff shortages and other workforce pressures, any additional workload associated with the surveillance cameras needed to be carefully considered, as, at both homes, the alerts were overwhelming staff.
"Whilst the accuracy of the system improved over time (as it was designed to), over the 12 months, it did not achieve a level that would be considered acceptable to staff and management at the sites," the independent audit found.
The trial began in March 2021, with backing from the previous state and federal governments.
Audio-visual monitoring company Care Protect, which monitors aged care homes in the UK, was set to roll out the technology, but it pulled out of the trial, with the state government instead using Adelaide's Sturdie Trade Services.
The project was installed to minimise the risk of abuse, harm and neglect in residential homes, but Mr Picton said authorities would now have to try and find a new solution.
"Clearly we now have to start from scratch because this was a completely botched program," he said.
Mr Picton said the state government would now consult with the community and stakeholders across the aged care sector to look at how technology could still be used to provide safeguards for the elderly.
The minister said there was still potential for CCTV to be used in the future, but lessons needed to be learnt from the trial.
But a federal Department of Health and Aged Care spokeswoman said there were a number of useful findings from the report.
"For example, the study showed a broad degree of acceptance amongst aged care residents, families and staff who participated in the trial," she said.
"The number of false alerts were greater than anticipated by South Australia Health. It is important to note that these false alerts did not place any residents or staff in danger."
The department said further trials were not currently being considered but did not rule out using CCTV in the future.
South Australian opposition ageing spokeswoman Penny Pratt said the trial was conducted because of the mistreatment of residents at the Oakden mental health aged care facility under Labor.
"We all know there can be limitations with any technology and, as a result some patients were over attended to, which is still better than Labor's alternative of doing nothing," Ms Pratt said.
