16 South Australian nursing homes fail to meet standards, with five putting residents’ health and welfare at serious risk

THE health and welfare of residents in five South Australian aged care homes was placed at serious risk in 2016-17 and concerns have been flagged about 16 homes this year.

• The Oakden report

THE health and welfare of residents in five South Australian aged care homes was placed at serious risk in 2016-17 and concerns have been flagged about 16 homes this year.

Information from the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency shows the state’s residential aged care crisis is far from over in the wake of the Oakden scandal. The agency has revealed the names of all SA aged care homes found to have “placed residents’ health, safety or wellbeing at serious risk” in 2016-17.

In addition to the Makk and McLeay Nursing Home at Oakden, the other facilities were the Martindale Nursing Home at Gawler East, Mary MacKillop Care St Catherine’s at Berri, Clayton Church Homes Hostel at Magill and Westminster Village Aged Care Facility at Grange.

The Aged Care Quality Agency revealed the information in an answer to a question asked by the Nick Xenophon Team at a Senate inquiry. Martindale’s accreditation was revoked by the regulator last year after an audit found it had failed to met nutrition and hydration, clinical care and other standards.

The Oakden older person mental health facility was shut down but concerns have been raised about others.

The home is also on a list of 16 facilities that did not meet one or more expected accreditation standards as of January 31. Martindale is owned by the Bennett Aged Care Group which also owns the Valley View Nursing home and recently sold the Kensington Residential Aged Care Facility.

Martindale failed to meet 30 expected outcomes, the Valley View Nursing Home 14 and the Kensington Residential Care Facility 18.

A spokeswoman for the Aged Care Quality Agency said Martindale was seeking to regain accreditation and in the meantime was ineligible to receive federal subsidies.

“The Department of Health has arrangements in place, with Martindale’s agreement, to monitor residents’ welfare and to ensure that appropriate standards of resident care are maintained,’’ the spokeswoman said. A decision to review Valley View’s accreditation was under review by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

The new owners of the Kensington Residential Care Facility said it now complied with all accreditation standards. Bennett Aged Care did not respond to a request for comment.

In the wake of revelations about abuse of residents at the state-run Oakden facility, the Federal Government is planning to establish a new independent aged care quality and safety commission.

NXT Senator Stirling Griff said aged care homes which repeatedly failed to meet standards should lose their licences. Senator Griff also said the next state government should play a stronger role in monitoring the welfare of aged care residents.

“Whoever the incoming state government happens to be, I think it’s important they take a very active interest in our elderly in these homes,’’ he said.

Mary MacKillop Care is now known as Calvary St Catherine’s Retirement Community. A spokeswoman said the facility had rectified all of the issues identified.

The full list of homes identified in January and the number or outcomes they failed to meet is:

AnglicareSA Elizabeth — Dutton Court — 1

AnglicareSA Trott Park — 1

Ardrossan Community Hostel — 1

Calvary St Catherine’s Retirement Community — 1

Edenfield Family Care — 4

Eldercare Allambi — 1

Eudunda Senior Citizens Hostel — 1

Kiandra Residential Aged Care — 1

Lerwin Nursing Home — 2

LHI Hope Valley — 3

Lourdes Valley Hostel — 1

Marten Residential Care Centre — 1

Martindale Nursing Home — 30

The Kensington Residential Care Facility — 18

The Willochra Home — 1

Valley View Nursing Home — 14