Gympie Cooinda Aged Care at centre of shock neglect claims

A southeast Queensland nursing home is addressing claims residents are suffering under conditions made worse by staff shortages amid Covid jab hesitancy.

Gympie’s Cooinda Aged Care Centre is at the centre of shocking neglect claims amid revelations the union has been called in over understaffing issues.

Shock allegations of neglect and residents “lying in urine” have been levelled at Gympie’s Cooinda Nursing Home amid revelations the union has been called in to deal with understaffing.

A source, who asked to remain anonymous, said residents were bearing the ugly brunt of ongoing staffing problems over the year caused by the pandemic and the resignation of staff who refused to be vaccinated.

The source claimed the problems had got worse since Lutheran Services took over management of the centre this month, after 50 years of being run by a community board.

They said staff were now under “extreme pressure” and were not being allowed to work double shifts to cover the shortages.

The source claimed residents were being “severely neglected”, with some bed bound residents not attended until late morning and allegedly “lying in urine and or faeces as their incontinence pads are not being changed … as they are required to be”.

“They also don’t get fed until very late.”

The union had been called several times due to the heavy workload on staff but “nothing was done”, they said.

Ownership of the centre was transferred to the Lutheran Services at the start of October after more than 50 years of being run by a community board.

Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union Sunshine Coast organiser Anne Stevens said her organisation had met with members and management at the centre 13 times this year “to highlight serious understaffing and infection control concerns at that facility”.

She said the QNMU had called on Cooinda management to bring in “safe nurse to resident ratios” to protect each group.

“They have refused,” she said.

Lutheran Services CEO Nick Ryan said the not-for-profit “has an historically high standard of care” and took any complaints extremely seriously.

Where any lapses were found “an improvement plan is immediately implemented, which will also apply at Cooinda”.

“Staff are at the heart and soul of Cooinda,” Mr Ryan said.

“We have engaged closely with all staff to understand how we can continuously improve and provided many ways for staff to share feedback.”

Mr Ryan said prior to Lutheran’s October 1 takeover “we were reassured to know that Cooinda was re-accredited following a full and comprehensive audit by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission”.

Cooinda Aged Care was audited by the Federal Government on September 2.

The CEO of Lutheran Services, Nick Ryan, said the not-for-profit took complaints seriously

It was found to be compliant in all categories including consumer dignity and choice, and personal care and clinical care.

Since the changeover “we have worked hard to understand how Cooinda operates, how staff are rostered and how care is provided, and have started mapping a way forward to ensure high standards of care and rewarding employment experiences”.

“In this short time, we have started to implement our robust systems, policies and procedures, as developed through our experience operating our other 10 aged care services across Queensland,” Mr Ryan said.

“We have also engaged with all staff union organisations and look forward to working closely together on any matters to do with the transition and staff working arrangements.”

Mrs Stevens said these problems would continue to occur in the industry until the Federal Government introduced mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios nationwide.

“Elderly residents continue to experience unnecessary pain, suffering and premature death as a result of chronic understaffing,” Mrs Stevens said.

“Staff, like those at Cooinda, continue to experience stress, burn out and serious concerns for the elderly residents in their care.”

The State Government introduced mandatory ratios in 2019 at its 16 nursing homes.

“This lack of federal staffing laws means private aged care providers can staff their facilities however they see fit,” she said.