Bupa Seaforth aged care home still ‘a total mess’ following resident assault

Following the well-publicised conviction of a staff member who assaulted a resident at the Bupa Seaforth aged care home, a special investigation has uncovered more problems — including a dementia patient escaping unnoticed and onto a busy road — writes Julie Cross.

Bupa Seaforth aged care home. Picture: AAP Image / Julian Andrews

• Residents living in’climate of fear’ at Bupa Seaforth aged care home
• Bupa Seaforth aged care work jailed for assaulting man

Some relatives of residents at a care home where an 82-year-old was assaulted by a staff member have resorted to installing CCTV in their rooms or have employed private carers to “keep them safe”.

It follows a new audit which suggests Bupa Seaforth is still not compliant, according to an email.

In a further incident just three weeks ago, a dementia patient was able to escape unnoticed and was found unharmed on a busy main road.

Prakash Paudyal, left, pleaded guilty to assaulting David Nabulsi (right), the 82-year-old assaulted at Bupa Seaforth aged care home.

The Manly Daily has spoken to a number of people who visit the home regularly. One said the situation was still “a total mess and absolutely appalling” four months after staff member Prakash Paudyal, 36, was caught on a secret camera assaulting grandfather David Nabulsi, 82.

He was jailed for four months in January.

“I think the whole place is broken,” said the source, who did not want to be named.

One of the meals at Bupa Seaforth. Picture: Supplied.

Baked beans and salad. A meal for residents at Bupa Seaforth last year. Picture: Supplied.

Some of the concerns by residents and carers include:

●The hiring of inexperienced low paid staff from overseas with a poor grasp of English;

●Poor medication management with drugs being signed for and not dispensed;

●A lack of understanding in how to look after dementia patients;

●Unhealthy food and inadequate portions;

Following the arrest of Paudyal in September, Bupa Seaforth received a sanction notice from the Department of Health.

In December, a report by an external consultancy service commissioned by Bupa revealed a litany of horrors at the home with some residents living in a “climate of fear”, not being given their medication, suffering pain and been left in soiled clothes for extended periods.

David Nabulsi with his daughter Ayda Celine. Picture: Supplied.

Tonia Fridlis, General Manager at Bupa Seaforth, sent an email to all residents, relatives and staff on February 8, saying that they had been recently audited by the Australian Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission between January 21 to 25.

Ms Fridlis wrote that while assessors had provided positive feedback on staff attitude and attention, “further work still needs to be done in order to achieve full compliance”.

She wrote that in particular, they were focusing on recruitment and rostering, clinical education, medical management, behaviour management, workplace health and safety.

In the latest newsletter under the headline ‘medication management’ it said a new pilot scheme was proving to be a great success and “is reducing the number of errors made significantly”.

A relative of a patient at the home said they were “hugely disappointed” at how their relative was being treated. Another told the Manly Daily Bupa “100 per cent should have sorted this by now”.

IN OTHER NEWS

Carolyn Cooper, Chief Operating Officer of Bupa Aged Care, said they had made a number of changes and have a new and experienced leadership team. She added they would “continue to work through remaining matters with the independent assessor”.

Regarding the patient who absconded, residents and visitors must enter a pin to enter and exit, and there are staff at reception. “We are regularly reviewing our security measures,” she said.