Three State Government-run aged care facilities fail compliance tests

Of the 23 aged care homes failing to meet standards, three are government-run. An Oakden whistleblower says that’s a devastating result and the state cannot squander the opportunity to move on from past failures.

• Ira Parker Nursing Home slapped with sanctions
• January: Five SA homes sanctioned
• Oakden whistleblower on how her persistence lifted lid on abuse
• Private facility opts into aged care CCTV trial

The failure of three South Australian government-run aged care facilities to meet standards is “unacceptable” just two years after the Oakden nursing home scandal, an aged care advocate says.

Stewart Johnston – whose late mother Helen was allegedly assaulted at Oakden – said it was “devastating” that three State Government-run facilities had been found to be non-compliant or had been sanctioned by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

State-run facilities make up three of the 23 South Australian facilities found to be non-compliant or facing sanctions.

Minlaton’s Melaleuca Court Nursing Home, in the Yorke Peninsula, and Disability SA’s Northgate aged care service have been found to be non-compliant for failing to meet a standard around behavioural management. Melaleuca Court also failed a measure around regulatory compliance.

Ira Parker Nursing Home in Balaklava is one of six facilities facing sanctions in South Australia. Both Ira Parker and Melaleuca Court are run by Country Health SA.

As reported by The Advertiser in March, the Ira Parker facility was sanctioned after it failed 19 of 44 accreditation standards.

Stewart Johnston said SA could not afford to squander its opportunity to lead the nation in aged care compliance after the Oakden scandal. Picture: AAP / Matt Loxton

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

Mr Johnston said SA could not afford to squander its opportunity to lead the nation in aged care compliance after the Oakden scandal. “The perception has to be with a new government that there has to be a change in path, as we move on from Oakden,” he said. “It’s a huge problem that we’ve got three facilities highlighted as not performing as they should and all the issues need to be fixed as soon as possible,” he said.

Aged Rights Advocacy Service chief executive Carolanne Barkla said it was “deeply concerning” that any state-run facilities had been found to be non-compliant or sanctioned.

Neither Health Minister Stephen Wade or Disability Minister Michelle Lensink responded to questions from The Advertiser about whether there were systemic problems in State Government-run facilities.

Ms Lensink said the Department for Human Services had acted immediately to address the noncompliance at Northgate. She said the notice had since been downgraded to a “notice to remedy”.

Country Health SA acting chief executive Rebecca Graham said the department was “committed to openness about the quality of care we provide and we welcome the ACQSC’s increased vigilance in assessing aged care standards”.

She said the commission would soon conduct follow up visits to both Country Health SA facilities.

Facilities are deemed to be non-compliant if they fail any of 44 accreditation standards in an audit, and are given six months to fix them. They are sanctioned if they fail to meet their time frame, which prevents them from gaining Commonwealth funding for any new patients for a six-month period.