Infinite Care Mount Lofty didn’t act on complaints until after aged care watchdog audit

RESIDENTS of a Toowoomba aged care facility felt unsafe because of the “complex behaviours” of their fellow residents, an audit report has found.

The aged care watchdog found Infinite Care Mount Lofty was non-compliant with two requirements of the Aged Care Quality Standards during a recent visit.

The report comes off the back of another visit from the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission in April, which saw the facility judged non-compliant with five requirements of the standards.

In interviews with residents of the facility, the commission found some were experiencing "disrupted sleep and not feeling safe" because other residents were wandering into communal areas and/or their rooms uninvited.

In another instance, residents felt unsafe "as a consumer waved a knife and poked it at other consumers during meal service".

"Four residents have requested a key to their room to prevent other consumers from entering their room as they do not feel safe," the ACQSC's report said.

Many of the residents interviewed said they had raised their concerns with Infinite Care through consumer meetings, with management, and through a petition.

 

 

But the report also found that when residents or their representatives raised concerns or complaints, management was not responsive, and did not provide feedback on the progress or outcome of their complaints.

"The assessment team's review of the complaints register identified a number complaints as 'closed', however, the consumers/representatives advised they had not received feedback," the report said.

Two complaints about the same issue from April and July remained unresolved.

Responding to the commission's findings, Infinite Care Mount Lofty said it had "strategies, monitoring and the involvement of specialist health professionals in place to manage identified consumers' behaviours" and that taken actions to address the issues.

"Consumers who reported being negatively impacted were followed up and advised they are now satisfied with actions taken by the service," the report said.

The facility also said it had reviewed its complaints register and actioned and closed outstanding complaints, and had "implemented a daily catch up with the clinical management, which includes discussing consumer/representatives concerns".

The commission audited the facility on six other standards and found them to be compliant.

 

Originally published as Aged care residents felt unsafe in their own rooms