The Sister’s Act – Beyond hilarity, three Austrian nuns ‘escaping’ aged care placement should put ageism in the spotlight

Ageism in the grey

Reported around the world as a story of hilarity, three elderly Austrian nuns have ‘broken out’ of an aged care home, to return to their beloved castle-monastery near Salzburg. From quips about nuns on the run and sisters doing it for themselves, the story has seen significant humour applied. While the nuns are now happy to laugh about their daring act, it is in looking deeper at the story that leaders should take note of a glaring problem in the treatment of these seniors, and the insidious nature of ageism.

At the heart of the Royal Commission is the pivot towards rights-based care and dignity. In reality, for dignity to underpin care in the truest sense across the sector, it starts with respect, truthfulness and transparency in the hard conversations, particularly about agency in the journey to RAC. Honouring seniors and their approach to residential aged care must be paramount. Ageism can operate in the grey, reneging on promises may just be one of its hues.

Care- understanding the power of home

Just after the end of the second world war, Sister Bernadette, now 88, started at Schloss Goldenstein, a castle turned convent, and also a girls’ school. It was 1948 when the convent became her school and home. Sister Regina, 86 and Sister Rita 82 joined the school soon after in 1958 and 1962 respectively. All three have spent most of their lives at the convent, with Kloster Goldenstein, a short distance from Salzburg, their home. None of them had ever planned to leave.

It was in December 2023, that these last three nuns were removed, according to them, against their will. Speaking to the BBC, Sister Bernadette says, “we weren’t asked. We had the right to stay here until the end of our lives and that was broken.”

Ageism in promises

While the school has thrived, the numbers of nuns had diminished over the years, however Sister’s Bernadette, Regina and Rita had poured themselves into their teaching activities, with Regina serving as headmistress for many years. Even so, the convent was officially disbanded in early 2024.

It is in the overt policy and promise that was made to the remaining three that underpins the concern over their treatment; The remaining nuns were formally permitted to reside in the castle for their lifetime, as long as their health and mental faculties supported this.

While reports about what led to their removal are unclear, some news sources stating two of the nuns fell ill, as evidenced by recent footage of the sprightly octogenarians, it is evident that full health has been recovered. It is their belief that their stay in RAC was temporary, when it became evident their former agreement was not to be honoured, all three were deeply shocked, calling the move to not honour the agreement, “an audacity”.

From December 2023 until their ‘escape’ a few days ago, the nuns were clear and articulate about their unhappiness in the aged care home, “”I was always homesick at the care home. I am so happy and thankful to be back”, Sister Rita says.

Sharp faculties, sharper planning

Showing a pluckiness of character, very likely linked to a steel-trap of a mind, Sister Bernadette bluntly states, “I have been obedient all my life, but it was too much.” The nuns showed vigorous mental acuity for strategy and logistics, calling in their network of friends and former students to help plan their daring ‘escape’. They share how they packed up their limited belongings, asked former students to transport them in their cars, called on a locksmith and gained entrance to their home.

Upon arriving they found that neither the electricity or water was active. And far be the three to be daunted by prospects, that perhaps many a university student might find daunting, they quickly organised both to be seen to.

Seniors deserve dignity and respect in assessing capabilities and care needs

While a spokesperson for the church authority overseeing Schloss Goldenstein, Provost Grasl says the return to the convent is, “completely incomprehensible” and the nuns’ “precarious health conditions” results in “independent living at Goldenstein Convent no longer possible”, a thriving social media account show energised nuns living high quality lives in full happiness.

Certainly footage has shown the octogenarians scaling and descending steep staircases in the castle, seemingly without incident or trouble. Joy and happiness are perceived to have energised the three, a result that underpins the call from much of the industry that aged care must centralise clinical models to derive from holistic treatments plans. Outgoing CEO Stephen Muggleton of the Bolton Group has been clear with his call for an overhauling of orthodox care models.

He goes further in saying that not only is the funding inadequate in the aged care setting, the model is inherently broken. What the three nuns have highlighted is that seniors are much more capable than the clinical models, and expectations of them, have narrowed as a possibility. Muggleton sees the medical care model being based only off of immobility, something clearly trounced by the ‘escape’ and joyously active life the nuns are now living back at home. 

Muggleton champions addressing the “holistic restorative array of critical elements of care and support, like access to allied health professionals, reablement, dental care, GPs, grief and bereavement counselling are [acutely and] sorely missing from aged care.” The nuns did not wait for the sector to reform, they re-located, arguably in vibrant “reablement” fashion.

While at the aged care facility, the three may have received complete and timely medical help,  however their minds, a core part of their being, was crippled by unhappiness, frustration and feelings of being trapped.

Cardio to boot

While the old stairlift had been removed after the three were taken from the castle in 2023, they are undeterred by the climbing of stairs, and determined to reside in their home.  

Back in the castle, Sister Rita beams, “I am so pleased to be home.”

In turn, Sister Bernadette is adamant, “Before I die in that old people’s home, I would rather go to a meadow and enter eternity that way.”