A police officer used a Taser on 95-year-old Clare Nowland, who lives with dementia, in her nursing home in NSW. Clare fell and hit her head, and is now in critical condition after sustaining life-threatening injuries. My own father is living with vascular dementia – I couldn't help but think, What if this were my father?

The police officers present were equipped with body cameras, recording the events that unfolded. We demand that this footage be released for investigation, to understand and question the actions that led to this tragic incident. In line with the family's wishes as expressed in the media, we are not calling for the footage to be publicly released yet, but used to progress the investigation into police action

This incident also raises concerns about the treatment and safety protocols for our elderly and vulnerable community members. It's crucial that the staff of care facilities and police officers alike are adequately trained in de-escalation tactics and handling individuals with dementia. This is not an isolated incident, in 2020 a dementia patient was handcuffed by NSW police.

Clare was also staying at an Aged Care facility without a dedicated dementia ward, this raises further questions about whether Aged Care facilities have enough resources and training necessary to support residents.

Working in a pharmacy, I have undergone mental health training and I understand the importance of adequately dealing with vulnerable individuals and compassion, patience, and understanding. Clare, a woman who needed care and protection, was instead met with a frightening and life-threatening situation.

Join me in calling on the NSW Health Minister and Police Minister to properly train and resource our aged care facilities and police, to protect the rights and safety of our vulnerable citizens. Together, we can ensure that the tragic incident Clare experienced does not happen again.