COVID-19 heightens pressure on aged care providers

Seven COVID-19 affected nursing homes in Melbourne risk having their federal funding revoked.

Sixty-nine residents of aged-care centres have died since July 11, while more than 500 more have tested positive to COVID-19. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

Seven COVID-19 affected nursing homes in Melbourne risk having their federal funding revoked amid a blitz from the Aged Care and Quality Commission over the outbreaks.

The federal agency has served five aged care providers with “notices to agree” after identifying elderly residents were at significant risk at the facilities as Victorian authorities struggle to contain the spread of the highly infectious disease.

Sixty-nine residents of aged-care centres have died since July 11, while more than 500 more have tested positive to COVID-19.

On top of managing the fast-moving outbreak, an “overseas third party” launched a cyber attack on listed aged care provider Regis Healthcare. Regis has no outstanding compliance notices from the Aged Care and Quality Commission.

Managing director and chief executive officer Linda Mellors said the attack attempted to disrupt the company’s operations.

But Dr Mellors said while the hackers copied data from the company’s IT system and released residents’ personal information the attack was not “materially impacting Regis Healthcare’s day-to-day operations”.

“Our priority is maintaining safe and reliable operations while ensuring the security of personal information of our residents, clients, and employees. To this end, we are working with expert IT and security advisers to continue to investigate and deal with this incident,” Dr Mellors said.

The COVID-19 has underscored the pressure many aged care providers are facing and their ability to manage a pandemic.

Listed aged care provider Estia received two notices to agree (NTA) from the Aged Care and Quality Commission, one each at its homes in Ardeer and Heidelberg West.

Epping Gardens, in the city’s north, where a number of residents were left for hours dead in their beds, triggering the Australian Defence Force to step into the facility, has also been served a notice.

Victoria’s worst hit home, St Basil’s, which has been linked to 124 cases so far, has also been served an NTA. Other homes include Menarock Life’s home in Essendon, where residents have been transferred to the care of Latrobe Private Hospital, which Healthscope operates, and the two Presbyterian-run and Kirkbrae Kilsyth hostel and nursing home.

Under the requirements set down in the NTA, a nursing home must not admit new residents into the two homes until the Victorian Public Health Unit has declared them COVID-19 free.

It must also appoint an independent Adviser immediately to assist with ensuring the health and wellbeing of residents; and provide daily and weekly reports to the Aged Care and Quality Commission on managing the outbreak.

“Should a provider fail to agree, their approval to provide government subsidised aged care may be revoked,” the commission says on its website.

“Once a provider has agreed to an NTA, they are required to do the actions they’ve agreed to. If they don’t they may be sanctioned.”

A senior doctor who has been treating aged care residents said many were arriving at hospitals dehydrated, malnourished and suffering from pneumonia.

The Defence Force was called in to Epping Gardens, which is run by independent operator Heritage Care, last week after the home had a staff resident ratio of 1:13. Unlike public hospitals which have a ratio of 1:4 or 1:5, the Federal Aged Care Act has no set staffing requirements for aged care providers.

And unlike public hospitals, aged care providers are under federal jurisdiction, not the state’s.

In March, the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association general secretary Brett Holmes warned of coronavirus spreading into aged care and the elderly, who have a 15 per cent chance of dying if they become infected, citing staffing issues and the need for sufficient infectious control training to limit the spread of the virus.