Pair charged over aggravated assault of elderly resident at Estia Health Kensington Gardens

Two staff members of an aged care home at Kensington Gardens have been sacked and charged with aggravated assault after allegations of abusing an elderly resident.

Two staff members at a Kensington Gardens aged-care home have been sacked and charged with aggravated assault over the alleged abuse of an elderly resident.

The January 15 incident now can be revealed after inquiries by The Advertiser, as the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety sits in Adelaide this week.

Police confirmed a man and woman, both 28, were arrested and charged with aggravated assault and bailed to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court next month.

In a statement to The Advertiser, Estia Health said it reported the incident to police once it became aware of the allegations and immediately stood down the pair.

The company said it then carried out an independent investigation into the claims and terminated the employment of both workers.

ALLEGATIONS: The Estia Health aged-care home at Kensington Gardens. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

“Estia has zero tolerance for any type of abuse or mistreatment of the vulnerable people in our care,” the statement said.

“We are working closely with the resident and their family and our focus remains on supporting them through this difficult period.

“As the matter is now under police investigation, we cannot make further comment. We will continue to fully co-operate with the police investigation.”

The Advertiser understands the elderly resident is now safe and well.

Estia Health’s Kensington Gardens home has no history of non-compliance or sanctions handed out by the Federal Government’s Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

But its Salisbury home was found to be non-compliant after a visit last month.

Two years ago, Estia Health called for a national register to identify people who should not be working in aged care.

New South Wales aged-care worker Dana Gray was last year sentenced to at least six months’ home detention for assaulting an 85-year-old female resident at Estia Health’s Epping facility.

Yesterday, the royal commission — prompted by the Oakden scandal — heard from an Adelaide woman who accused the Federal Government of effectively waiting for elderly people to die.

Ruth Harris’s 91-year-old mother, Joyce Edwards, waited 13 months for a home-care package, by which time she had moved into residential care. “I think I said to them ‘You’re waiting for them to die’,” Ms Harris said.

Ms Harris said trying to deal with My Aged Care, the Federal Government’s one-stop shop for aged-care services, was “just horrendous”. She dismissed My Aged Care as basically a call centre operated by staff reading from a screen who did not necessarily know the needs of people requiring aged care services.

In response to the latest allegations, Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt said the royal commission would closely monitor activities at the home. “Any mistreatment of senior Australians is abhorrent and absolutely unacceptable,” he said.