Police to declare if Earle Haven nursing home crisis broke laws

Police will make a decision today around whether any laws were broken at the Earle Haven nursing home, after more than 70 people were dramatically removed last week.

Member for Gaven Meghan Scanlon addresses the media outside Earle Haven nursing home, Nerang.

Queensland Police will today determine if offences occurred in the abandonment of the Earle Haven nursing home last Thursday.

An investigation into breaches of the medicine and poisons legislation has also been undertaken by Queensland Health after swathes of pharmaceuticals went missing from the facility.

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Member for Gaven Meghan Scanlon and Senator Murray Watt visit Earle Haven nursing home, Nerang.

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Questions have also been raised about the future of residents and the flow on effect on those waiting on a nursing home placement in the Coast.

Member for Gaven Meaghan Scanlon, who was at the home during the transfer of 70 frail patients, said residents were still without answers on their future.

“What I witnessed was truly sickening,” Ms Scanlon said.

“We really need answers for our community as to what are the long term answers for our residents, what is the long term plan for Earle Haven, and really we need those answers sooner rather than later.

“I have been advised Queensland Health has conducted an investigation in regards to whether any breaches occurred in regards to the medicine and poisons legislation and that information was handed over to the Federal Government Friday afternoon.”

Member for Gaven Meghan Scanlon addresses the media.

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Ms Scanlon is seeking clarity from the Federal Government regarding progress on the investigation.

“We need to know who is heading up this investigation, what is the scope, when it will start and finish,” Ms Scanlon said.

“Our emergency services responded that day and found over 70 people a safe place to stay, but it took the Federal Government over two days to even establish a hotline.”

A police vehicle outside the Earle Haven Nursing Home following its closure last week. Picture: AAP

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Queensland senator Murray Watt said he believes there should have been some indication to the federal government that the nursing home was at risk of a business collapse.

“It seems while the fault of what has occurred here lies at the feet of private operators, it is the federal government that is the regulator of aged care,” Senator Watt said.

“People expect their federal members and the federal government to be the watchdog to make sure that what is happening in aged care is appropriate.

“It will be very interesting to see if there were any warning signs that federal authorities were aware of that should have tipped them off that something like this was about to happen.

“I find it hard to believe this is completely out of the blue.”

Senator Watt also spoke of concerns about a possible flow on effect to those seeking nursing home positions.

“We need to know where this leaves the aged care system on the Gold Coast generally,” he said.

“Are there more aged care centres on the Gold Coast at risk of similar closure.

“It is really fortunate there were some spare places at other Gold Coast facilities for the residents to be moved into but you would think that, that is going to then cause some backlogs and further delays for others looking for residential aged care places.”

Originally published as Police to declare if Earle Haven nursing home crisis broke laws