Rotten apples in aged care but MP praises Page facilities

PAGE MP Kevin Hogan claims government has been looking into the aged care sector since last year, after Prime Minister Morrison announced a royal commission

MP: Kevin Hogan. Picture: Contributed

THE Australian government has been looking into the aged care sector since last year, according to Federal Member for Page, Kevin Hogan.

At the weekend, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a royal commission into the aged care sector.

Mr Morrison cited a "disturbing" trend of non-compliant practices and failures in the system for the need for the royal commission.

Mr Hogan said he'd visited all the aged care facilities in Page, and had seen first-hand some of the wonderful work they'd done.

"They are all wonderful places with terrific, dedicated staff providing a high quality of care," he said.

"That been said there are isolated cases that we need to make sure are corrected."

The north coast has not been immune to discoveries of elder abuse and non-compliant practices, like the case of Marie Darragh who was murdered in a residential aged care facility in Ballina in 2014.

In November 2016, a NSW Supreme Court jury found nurse Megan Haines guilty of injecting Marie and another woman, Isabella Spencer, 77, with lethal doses of insulin just hours after she learned they had made complaints against her.

"I think cases that are unacceptable will be uncovered," Mr Hogan said.

"It is then up to us to make sure corrections are made and they don't happen again.

"We have been looking at the sector since early last year as we were concerned some operators were not providing the high-quality care society expects.

"It is terrible to hear stories of elder abuse. They are at a very vulnerable stage of their life."

Mr Hogan said they would wait for the royal commission's report about the issues within the industry.

"(Then) we will start acting on the recommendations it provides," he said.

Originally published as Rotten apples in aged care but MP praises Page facilities