Ranked: 39 aged care homes across Wide Bay Burnett

It’s every grandparent’s nightmare — being dumped in an aged care home where staff are rude, rooms are filthy and the food is lousy. But there are plenty of good ones to be found. See all 39 of the Wide Bay’s best and worst nursing homes and how they rate. FULL LIST

The conditions of the homes across the Wide Bay and Burnett have been laid bare in a nationwide Department of Health and Aged Care analysis, which rated the nation’s aged care homes as of January 2023.

Out of the 39 nursing homes ranked across the region, the aged care homes that rated the lowest, with two stars out of a possible five, were: Blue Care Gympie Grevillea Gardens Aged Care Facility, Gympie, and Blue Care Bundaberg Pioneer Aged Care Facility, Bundaberg.

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Following federal audits in 2022 poor conditions at two of the region’s Blue Care facilities were exposed.

Gympie’s Grevillea Gardens failed to comply in three of eight categories relating to care, service environment, and governance, and Bundaberg’s Pioneer Aged Care failed to comply in four of eight categories relating to dignity and choice, care, feedback and complaints and human resources.

Blue Care’s Pioneer centre excelled in ongoing plan and assessment, in which they were found compliant.

Grevillea Gardens was found compliant in categories regarding consumer dignity and choice, ongoing assessment and planning with consumers, services and support for daily living, feedback and complaints, and human resourcing.

The audit found compliance problems at two Blue Care facilities, with Gympie’s Grevillea Gardens dropping in several categories compared to its last audit in August 2020, and Pioneer aged care, almost fully compliant in its 2021 audit, now non-compliant in four of eight categories.

Group Executive Blue Care Aged Care and Community Services spokeswoman Cathy Thomas said since the September 2022 audit was released, the “residential aged care facilities have used a broad range of data (and) implemented evidence-based improvement strategies” to resolve the problems.

“We continually monitor and measure residents‘ experience and quality through our Voice of Customer program, including direct feedback from resident and family meetings, surveys and Customer Advisory Groups, as well as staff meetings, escalation processes and information collected on incidents and complaints.”

“Blue Care is confident the measures we are taking will ensure the high standards of holistic, quality care our residents expect and deserve.”

A 2022 audit into Churches of Christs’ Gracehaven Aged Care Facility in Bundaberg found five residents and their representatives were not provided with enough information to ensure informed consent was gained prior to chemical restraint being used on them.

Churches of Christ Gracehaven did not respond to a request for comment at the time.

The centre was found compliant in only three of eight categories; assessment and planning with its residents, its living services and support, it’s service environment where the areas it received passing rates in.

SCROLL THROUGH ALL QLD AGED CARE FACILITIES HERE:

Wide Bay Burnett 10 worst rated aged care homes (with average rating across five categories):

1. Blue Care Gympie Grevillea Gardens Aged Care Facility (2.25)
2. Blue Care Bundaberg Pioneer Aged Care Facility (2.5)
3. TriCare Bundaberg Aged Care Residence (2.75)
4. TriCare Point Vernon Aged Care Residence (2.75)
5. Torbay (2.75)
6. Parklands Aged Care Facility & Retirement Village (2.75)
7. Anglicare SQ Kirami Home for the Aged (2.75)
8. Central & Upper Burnett District Home for the Aged Hostel (2.75)
9. Blue Care Bundaberg Riverlea Aged Care Facility (2.75)
10. Churches of Christ Gracehaven Aged Care Service (2.75)

* Full ratings in each category can be found below

The majority of the region’s aged care homes were rated at three stars with 27 facilities, and 12 were given four stars.

None were rated five stars.

Forest View Residential Care Facility in Wondai was ranked the best of the Wide Bay Burnett’s four star rated aged care homes, closely followed by Tiaro’s Churches of Christ Petrie Gardens Aged Care Service, Monto’s Ridgehaven Retirement Complex and Gympie’s St Vincent's Care Services.

The Darling Downs Health Executive Director Rural and Aged Care, Dr Chris Cowling commented on the Forest View Residential Care Facility’s success:

“Our nurses and clinical staff are committed to providing quality care that is individualised to residents,” he said.

“We engage regularly with our residents and their loved ones to ensure their care is meeting their expectations, and work hard to implement any feedback to improve our services.”

Dr Cowling said that the Forest View staff “also provide a host of activities including bingo, bus trips, craft, ten-pin bowling, pet therapy, cards, and tai chi”.

The Aged Care homes that scored 4 stars were:

1. Forest View Residential Care Facility
2. Churches of Christ Petrie Gardens Aged Care Service
3. Ridgehaven Retirement Complex
4. St Vincent's Care Services Gympie
5. Southern Cross Care Nanango – Karinya
6. Churches of Christ Kolan Gardens Aged Care Service
7. Bolton Clarke Baycrest
8. Ny-Ku Byun (new service)
9. Blue Care Bundaberg Millbank Aged Care Facility
10. PresCare – Groundwater Lodge
11. Blue Care Hervey Bay Masters Lodge Aged Care Facility
12. Orana

FOOD QUALITY

The Wide Bay Burnett’s Churches of Christ Petrie Gardens Aged Care Service in Tiaro is one of the leading aged care facilities for food ratings in the country, scoring a solid four out five stars and sharing the title for best food quality with New South Wales’ Grace Munro Centre in Bundarra.

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The Acting Service Manager for Petrie Gardens, Kath Hawken, said that “getting the food right is so important.”

“Our kitchen staff cook all the meals on site, intended to provide a home-cooked standard that can accommodate the residents requests and is flexible with menu changes.”

“It’s small centre with only 10 residents, which is something the residents appreciate, because we can deliver quality, personalised care.”

“Churches of Christ personal care workers are also supported by ongoing training to ensure they meet not just aged care standards, but the personal care standards our residents expect.”

Wide Bay Burnett’s 10 worst rated for food quality (ratings):

1. Ozcare – Hervey Bay (2.47)
2. Cooinda Aged Care Centre (2.47)
3. TriCare Bundaberg Aged Care Residence (2.5)
4. Yaralla Place (2.53)
5. Palm Lake Care Bargara (2.6)
6. TriCare Point Vernon Aged Care Residence (2.62)
7. Torbay (2.67)
8. Forest View Aged Persons Home (2.67)
9. Bolton Clarke Fairways (2.67)
10. St Vincent's Care Services Gympie (2.67)

Ozcare Hervey Bay (pictured) and Cooinda Aged Care Centre in Gympie were both ranked as having the lowest food quality in the Wide Bay Burnett region, with a 2.47 rating.

In response to questions about its rating Ozcare said it “always strives to offer the highest quality service for our residents”.

Lutheran Services (provider of Cooinda Aged Care Care) CEO Nick Ryan said the group was “dedicated to quality aged care for older Australians and we continuously seek to improve the way we deliver this care”.

“We recognise the important role food has on a resident’s experience, which is why we focus on serving food that is nutritious, well presented and flavourful to support the wellbeing and quality of life for our residents.”

■ Ratings have been updated since January 4 2023 but are subject to change.

Originally published as Ranked: 39 aged care homes across Wide Bay Burnett