Vigil will mark one year from horrific disability neglect death of Ann Marie Smith

A vigil will be held on Tuesday for Ann Marie Smith, a year after her death. Attending will be Bill Shorten, who warns that not enough has changed.

“Precious little has changed” since the death of South Australian Ann Marie Smith, warns former Opposition leader Bill Shorten on the anniversary of her death.

Mr Shorten is due to attend a vigil in Adelaide on Tuesday evening marking one year since the death of the 54-year-old cerebral palsy sufferer, who was living in conditions which horrified investigating police.

“I fear the lessons of Ann Marie’s tragic death by neglect have not been learnt,” said Mr Shorten.

“We still have a disability watchdog that is really a toothless purse poodle and a government hellbent on slashing safety nets in the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme),” said Mr Shorten, federal Labor’s NDIS spokesman.

He said the hiring of six new NDIS inspectors following a $92.9m funding boost, and the failure to implement the full list of recommendations from a review by former federal court judge Alan Robertson, meant “precious little has changed”.

Ms Smith died on April 6 last year from organ failure and septic shock.

A day earlier, she was rushed from her home in Kensington Park to the Royal Adelaide Hospital where she underwent surgery to remove rotting flesh caused by severe pressure sores.

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Her disability carer, Rosemary Maione, is facing manslaughter charges.

Maione’s employer, Integrity Care SA, was banned last August from providing NDIS services by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

Ms Smith’s death sparked a number of investigations, including Mr Robertston’s review.

One of the review’s recommendations was that the NDIS Commission establish a national equivalent to state and territory Community Visitor Schemes to provide face-to-face contact with vulnerable NDIS participants. That recommendation has not been implemented, despite the same calls being made by Ms Smith’s family and state opposition disability spokeswoman Nat Cook.

The NDIS Commission and the federal Social Services department said Ms Smith’s death had prompted national changes such as additional funding for the NDIS Commission to bolster regulation of providers, tougher rules for providers and carers regarding bans for misconduct, and NDIS worker screening by all jurisdictions by July 2021.

Rosemary Maione leaves the Adelaide Women’s Prison with her son after being released on bail, August 13, 2020. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Tuesday’s candlelight vigil will be held on the steps of state parliament at 6pm, and is being organised by a number of national disability groups.

People With Disability Australia board member Katharine Annear said Ms Smith’s death – although allegedly the responsibility of one person – was also the result of systematic safeguarding failures and a community where people had forgotten to look out for each other.

“Ann Marie was in the situation she was in because everyone thought someone else was looking after her,” she said.

“So our message to South Australians is the same as it was a year ago. Take a minute to see who is in your community, see if they are OK and act if they need help.”

To report abuse and neglect of people living with disability, call 1800 880 052