Inquest: Clinical psychologist Fiona Meredith says she was ‘appalled’ by conditions at Oakden nursing home

A CLINICAL psychologist was “appalled” by conditions at the disgraced Oakden nursing home, where staff were more interested in protecting themselves than the residents, an ­inquest has heard.

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A CLINICAL psychologist was “appalled” by conditions at the disgraced Oakden nursing home, where staff were more interested in protecting themselves than the residents, an ­inquest has heard.

Fiona Meredith was one of five specialists who resigned after their recommendations that care at the Makk and McLeay facility be drastically changed fell on deaf ears.

She appeared before State Coroner Mark Johns yesterday as part of the inquest into the death of Graham Rollbusch, 70, at the facility in early 2008.

Peter Palmer, 85, a patient with a history of violent behaviour, was charged with murder but died before facing court.

Ms Meredith was brought to the facility in 2007, with a number of other specialists, following a Commonwealth audit in which it failed 26 of 44 accreditation standards.

She found herself increasingly horrified by the conditions.

“I was appalled at what I was seeing on the ward,” she told the inquest.

Ms Meredith said the facility had failed to implement basic techniques and practices that would help calm patients suffering dementia or frontal lobe brain damage.

She said residents were left for hours without being checked, more than half were moderately to severely malnourished, there was almost complete absence of clinical leadership and many staff were not trained to deal with elderly patients.

On a fundamental level, Ms Meredith said, staff values, beliefs and attitudes were flawed with many reacting to patients with advanced dementia or serious head injuries as though they were acting deliberately.

“Staff were protecting themselves rather than protecting residents,” she said.

She witnessed Mr Palmer punch another patient in the head and criticised staff for telling him to “stop that” without interacting with him.

She believed staff were working beyond their competence.

Shortly after her findings were handed to the facilities management, Ms Meredith and other specialists resigned because there was no change.

“The report bears a striking resemblance to the 2017 report which resulted in the nursing home being shut down,” she said.

“We were not being listened to. Nothing was changing.”

When she heard Mr Rollbusch was killed, she immediately linked the incident with Mr Palmer.

The inquest continues.