AGED CARE SHAME: M'boro nursing home labelled 'serious risk'

Leaders promise changes made after damning aged care report

A MARYBOROUGH nursing home was declared a "serious risk" to residents after failing 12 quality standards in April this year, an explosive new report reveals.

Maryborough's Yaralla Place, run by PresCare, was one of 16 facilities in the state named and shamed in the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission's 2018-19 audit report.

According to the government report, Yaralla Place failed 12 quality standards including clinical care, infection control, behaviour management, staffing and wound care.

"Staffing levels and skill mix are not maintained to care recipients' complex health care needs," the report reads.

"The home does not have effective systems to ensure care recipients receive appropriate clinical care ... specialised care is not consistently delivered by staff in accordance with health professional and/or registered nurse directives. Wound care is not delivered consistent with wound charts.

"Care recipients with challenging behaviours are not managed effectively. Care recipients' right to privacy and dignity is not supported or respected.''

Yaralla Place Residential Aged Care Facility, Maryborough. The facility, run by PresCare, was one of 16 in the state labelled a 'serious risk' in a government audit. Picture: Alistair Brightman

Karyn Kelly, PresCare's general manager of customer experience, responded to the damning statistics, saying the results fell "below PresCare's high standards and a number of the accreditation standards".

Ms Kelly said improvements had been made at the facility.

"We took immediate action to implement a range of changes and improvements to the facility in order to rectify the issues raised by the ACQSC and return the facility to our high standards," Ms Kelly said.

"In addition to the appointment of a new facility manager at Yaralla to oversee these changes, we also immediately engaged a senior clinical nursing consultant to work at Yaralla.

"We take all matters relating to the health, safety and wellbeing of residents seriously and are confident the issues identified by the ACQSC have been rectified."

The Maryborough home was not alone in falling below government standards.

In the wider region, Gayndah's Gunther Village breached 13 quality standards including clinical care, skin care and regulatory compliance in August 2018.

The report said it had failed to provide clinical care in a timely manner.

Gunther Village facility manager Vicki Boyd said immediate action was taken to rectify the issues.

"The subsequent January 2019 audit found we complied with all standards and commented on the excellent care being provided at Gunther Village," Ms Boyd said.

Aged care homes in North Rockhampton, Manly West, Durack, Avalon, Greenbank, Chinchilla, Mitchelton, Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Cairns, Townsville, Mudgeeraba, Redcliffe and Atherton also fell below clinical standards.