Audit reveals shock details of seniors left in pain, not given medication at Bupa homes

Audits have detailed serious concerns over patient welfare at more than a dozen care homes run by health industry giant Bupa. The reports detailed a number of startling incidents by the country’s largest aged-care operator, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.

• Bupa aged care worker jailed for assaulting man
• Residents live in ‘climate of fear’ at Bupa home
• Is this the worst aged care home in NSW?

Audits have detailed serious concerns over patient welfare at more than a dozen care homes run by health industry giant Bupa.

The reports detailed instances of seniors being left in pain, not given their medication and experiencing ongoing falls.

Bupa, the country’s largest aged-care operator raked $464.7 million in taxpayer funding last financial year to run its 72 centres but 13 of those have been issued formal warning notices to improve standards or be hit with sanctions since July last year.

More than half of those are in NSW: Berry, Eden, Griffith and Seaforth have faced government sanctions which impose tough operating conditions while Ashfield, Dural, North Rocks have been handed notices of non-compliance.

Bupa aged-care home in Seaforth only met 10 of the 44 care standards.

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The Daily Telegraph can also reveal the Coalition’s crackdown on providers has led to 27 facilities nationwide — almost half of them in NSW — being cut off from government funding for new residents.

A Health Department spokesman said senior executives has been meeting with Bupa to work through the issues identified including the sanctions imposed.

When asked if Bupa’s adverse reports indicated systemic management failure, chief operating officer Carolyn Cooper said the company’s “absolute priority” was providing quality care and support to residents.

The daughter of Georgia Tzintzions, pictured, said her mother was often found covered in bruises and was visibly frightened when men entered her room at Bupa Seaforth. Picture: Supplied

“We have been taking immediate action to improve services at our care homes where issues have been identified, including recruiting additional staff and reviewing resident care plans,” she said.

Bupa Seaforth had among the longest list of failed care standards — only meeting 10 of 44 — during an audit in September which was prompted by the assault of resident David Nabulsi by staff member Prakash Paudyal who was jailed for eight months.

Prakash, from Hornsby, is appealing his sentence in the High Court.

Resident David Nabulsi was assaulted by staff member Prakash Paudyal at Bupa Seaforth.

His daughter Ayda Celine installed CCTV cameras in his room. Picture: Supplied

She hopes the commission “puts away more bastards”. Picture: Supplied

Mr Nabulsi, now 83, still resides at the $4000-a-month home but his room has now been fitted with $700 worth of CCTV cameras linked live to his daughter Ayda Celine’s mobile phone.

“These old people with no voice to stand up for themselves have been abused for years,” she said. “I hope the commission puts away more bastards. It’s years overdue.”

Details of the problems at the Bupa centres can be revealed as the Aged Care Royal Commission, which began in Adelaide this week, heard residents and their families feared “intimidation and reprisals” if they made complaints about care in some facilities.

Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt said the steep rise in ­reports of serious risks in care homes had convinced him of the need to hold a royal commission.

Originally published as Audit reveals shock details of seniors left in pain, not given medication at Bupa homes