Oakden families furious over compensation delay

FAMILY members of Oakden victims are angry their attempts to claim compensation for the treatment of their loved ones are being delayed, despite promises of a smooth process.

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FAMILY members of Oakden victims are angry their attempts to claim compensation for the treatment of their loved ones are being delayed, despite promises of a smooth process.

Stewart Johnston and Deanna Stojanovic say they had been assured by former premier Jay Weatherill, after the release of an ICAC report into the aged care centre, that their compensation claims would be resolved quickly.

They claim Premier Steven Marshall repeated that commitment at meetings before and after the March state election.

“He said it would take weeks, not months. Well it’s been months and we’re seemingly no closer. It’s a blight on all levels of government,” Mr Johnston said.

Stewart Johnston ahead of the Senate inquiry into the Oakden nursing home. Picture: AAP / Matt Loxton

The Advertiser understands Mr Johnston and Ms Stojanovic are among at least five families of abused or neglected former Oakden residents to have made compensation claims.

Usually claims must be lodged within a year of an incident, but Mr Johnston said they had been assured by the former government that requirement had been removed.

Mr Johnston’s mum Helen was allegedly assaulted, slapped in the face and thrown off a toilet at Oakden.

“With Oakden and all the reports, the proof the incidents occurred has all been established so we were told it would be all clean cut,” he said.

“We were told they would remove the hoops and obstacles you would usually face in a compensation claim and they would be a model litigant.”

Ms Stojanovic said requests for information crucial to her claim had gone unanswered, preventing her claim, conducted through law firm Rossi Legal, from being finalised.

“I haven’t been able to obtain Mum’s medical records, or a copy of the interview I did with SA Health after Oakden closed,” she said.

Ms Stojanovic’s mother, Eveline Damms, was a resident at Oakden for 2½ years until its closure last year. Mrs Damms died at a mainstream nursing home last year, after Oakden closed.

Ms Stojanovic said her mother suffered unexplained bruising and was left screaming in pain while an Oakden carer spent two hours trying to insert a catheter.

She said the treatment of her mother at Oakden had caused her significant trauma and meant she regularly sought psychiatric help.

Health Minister Stephen Wade did not commit to compensation or a decision time frame, but was “committed to negotiating respectfully”.

“The last thing the Government wants to do is add unnecessary stress and anxiety,” he said.