Carnell Report find federal scrutiny of scandal-hit Oakden nursing home was bare minimum

RESIDENTS at the scandal-plagued Oakden aged-care home were forgotten as federal scrutiny of their care was reduced to a “bare minimum”, a scathing report has revealed.

• Analysis: Why we must allow whistleblowers to speak out
• The fight for justice that left the whistleblowers reeling
• No supervision, no care: Appalled family speaks out
• More claims of alleged abuse at Oakden, after scandal broke
• Aged-care centres to face surprise visits

RESIDENTS at the scandal-plagued Oakden aged-care home were forgotten as federal scrutiny of their care was reduced to a “bare minimum”, a scathing report has revealed.

An independent review of the nation’s aged-care audit system laid bare a catalogue of failures as it found the State Government-run facility was not meeting basic care standards.

The 188-page inquiry, publicly released on Wednesday, proposed a major shake-up of the system, including site being given star ratings and be handed a “report card” on performance.

As revealed by The Advertiser, it also called for surprise checks to ensure facilities were providing proper care and scrapping announced visits — findings welcomed by campaigners.

Among the failures detailed in the report, were how SA Health did not inform federal authorities of its formal investigation at the northern-suburbs site until it was well underway.

Despite receiving Federal Government funding, state bureaucrats also neglected to relay details of complaints about resident Bob Spriggs, whose family blew the whistle on practices at the site.

Mr Spriggs, 66, who has since died, was given 10 times the prescribed amount of medication and had unexplained bruises.

Whistleblowers and families of patients at Oakden — Barbara and Clive Spriggs, Rina Serpo and Alma Krecu, Stewart Johnston and Patrina Cole. They are all family members of deceased residents at the disgraced Oakden aged-care home. Picture: Kym Smith

Alarmingly, the independent review found the serious issues at Oakden may be replicated across the national aged care system, concluding that checks did not protect aged care residents from abuse and neglect.

Its analysis of 57 Australian sites previously identified as having failed basic care standards showed more than 80 per cent were quick to be given the green light.

The report’s authors — former ACT Chief Minister Kate Carnell and Professor Ron Paterson, previously a New Zealand health, disability and parliamentary watchdog — stated that while residential care was generally of a good standard, it was “scant reassurance” to the public.

They condemned the failings as of “no comfort to the individuals, families and friends who have suffered appallingly”.

“Oakden had significant failures of care, and the Commonwealth’s regulatory framework failed to detect them,” the report concluded.

“As a result, many aged-care residents, including some of the most vulnerable and unwell in the aged care system, received poor-quality care and suffered as a consequence.”

The report, commissioned by Federal Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt, was not a review of the Oakden care but focused on why the national accreditation system did not identify any site failures.

Alma Krecu with her mum Rina Serpo (holding photo frame of her husband Eddie, who was a resident at Oakden and Stewart Johnston outside the facility. Picture: Keryn Stevens

The Review of National Aged Care Quality Regulatory Processes found that, between 2001 and 2010, Oakden was placed under intense scrutiny amid serious complaints and concerns over its quality of care.

But the national accreditation agency gave the SA Government multiple chances to improve standards at its aged care and mental health facility.

Throughout 2009, there were at least eight complaints made to federal agencies, some of which triggered unannounced raids.

But despite these concerns, the accreditation agency’s “approach ... appears to have changed” the following year as authorities signed off its operations over the next three years.

“Engagement with Oakden from the start of 2010 rapidly reduced to a bare minimum,” the report found.

Despite “substantive issues” being regularly identified there was “six years of minimal oversight”.

Mr Wyatt announced the Turnbull Government would introduce unannounced assessment visits across residential aged care facilities.

“It is appalling that anyone could be treated so badly and that this mistreatment was not detected earlier,” he said.

The families of Oakden victims reacted with fury last night.

Stewart Johnston, a spokesman for several families of Oakden residents, said the abuse of his mother Helen, then aged 71, was “horrific” and something he could never forget.

She had accused Oakden staff of repeated assaults in 2008.

“She came to a health facility temporarily to gain some treatment and was physically abused. And that, from a son’s perspective, is something you never get over,” he said.

“I will never get over it and I think none of us will.”

Clive Spriggs, son of Bob, said each report was a “constant reminder of how horrible it was there and how long it went on”.

“It’s just disgusting,” he said.

“It’s extremely hard to keep going through it but the drive of our family is to right the wrongs and hopefully improve aged care practices in our communities.”

Mental Health Minister Peter Malinauskas — who recently replaced Leesa Vlahos after she resigned for “personal health” reasons amid universal criticism of her handling of the crisis and an anti-corruption inquiry — did not respond to questions last night.

His spokeswoman instead provided comments from Premier Jay Weatherill, who fronted the media before he had read the report.

Mr Weatherill said the Oakden report showed something was clearly amiss with the federal regulatory process.

“We have to accept our own responsibilities because it was a state run institution, but federal regulatory agencies are one of the checks and balances,” he said.

“It should have picked up problems and it didn’t so obviously we’re looking forward to the reforms that flow with that.”

Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Bruce Lander QC launched his own inquiry after former chief psychiatrist Aaron Groves found widespread abuse of patients and a culture of cover-up.

Warning “the fish rots from the head”, Mr Lander has said “someone has to be responsible” for its failings.

Council on the Ageing chief executive Ian Yates welcomed more unannounced inspections.

“The events in SA, in which Oakden received accreditation despite a long history of horrific incidents at the centre, demonstrated systemic failures that had to be urgently addressed,” he said.

Key recommendations

■ ENDING planned accreditation visits and replacing them exclusively with surprise spot checks, under which high-performing services would have fewer visits so the Care Quality Commissioner can focus on facilities with higher risk.

■ HANDING residential aged-care facilities a “performance card” comparing them to services with similar profiles and creating a star-rated system for public reporting of provider performance.

■ CREATING a serious incident response scheme that forces providers to inform the Aged Care Commission of allegations of a serious incident and investigation outcomes.

■ ESTABLISHING a single agency, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, to bring together management
of the system, and appoint a Chief Clinical Adviser to provide clinical leadership.