Ira Parker Nursing Home in Balaklava slapped with sanctions after standard failures

A State Government run nursing home in the state’s Mid-North has failed 19 of 44 accreditation standards in an audit conducted after a fire in a resident’s bedroom.

A State Government run nursing home in the state’s Mid-North has failed 19 of 44 accreditation standards in an audit conducted after a fire in a resident’s bedroom.

Country Health SA said it was taking immediate action to fix the failed standards at the Ira Parker Nursing Home, in Balaklava, after a recent Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission audit.

The audit came directly after the death of a female resident last month, following a fire in her bedroom.

The federal health department has imposed sanctions on the home due to the audit, details of which are yet published on the Federal Government’s My Aged Care website.

Country Health SA interim chief executive Rebecca Graham said the failed standards were around documentation and procedures around “care outcomes” including pain and wound management, and nutrition.

The audit also recommended improvements to the home’s “physical environment”.

Residents of the 22-bed facility and their families have been briefed about the failed standards and sanctions, that prevent it from receiving Commonwealth subsidies for new patients for six months.

“We are disappointed that we haven’t met the required standards, and have acted

immediately to minimise any risk to the safety and wellbeing of our residents and

address the sanctions,” Ms Graham said.

Ira Parker Nursing Home. Source: agedcareweekly.com.au

“We welcome the Commonwealth’s scrutiny to help us ensure that we are providing the

best possible service to our residents.

“We are acting immediately to improve these areas in addition to what we were already

doing to improve the quality of care at Ira Parker Nursing Home, including employing

additional experienced staff to support improved care.”

Health Minister Stephen Wade told ABC Radio the facility had been scrutinised as part of a statewide audit of all Government-run facilities, but the visit had been triggered by a fire in a bedroom at the facility, currently before the state’s Coroner.

“We accept all of these issues … we’ve got an action plan to address all of them including a training plan for staff. We’ve appointed an adviser and administrator to work through these issues,” he said.

”(Staff and residents) were disappointed, they’re concerned but they are very committed to working with us to make sure that we get this facility back on track.”

Mr Wade said there was a level of “increased scrutiny” on facilities in the wake of the Oakden nursing home scandal, as Ira Parker passed Commonwealth accreditation last year with just “one or two issues raised”.

Labor health spokesman Chris Picton called on Mr Wade to immediately release both state and federal audit reports into the facility, and ensure they were handed to residents and their families.