Ballarat beckons for aged care nurse
THE clinical care manager of Millmerran’s Yallambee Aged Care has been farewelled by the staff and board of the facility.
Yallambee board of management president John Rogers paid tribute to Ms Noone, who came out of retirement three years ago to take charge of a “strenuous change regime” that saw the facility maintain full accreditation under the Aged Care, Quality and Safety Commission.
“Maxine came to us at a time when our organisation was under considerable stress,” Mr Rogers said.
Mr Rogers said Ms Noone had brought great value to the facility and he congratulated her on her efforts.
“Above everything else, Maxine Noone will be remembered fondly as an extremely competent and caring facility manager,” he said.
But Ms Noone’s tenure was not without controversy.
In April 2018 she sued Bundaberg aged care advocate Heather Mansell Brown over a series of Facebook posts.
In August this year Ms Mansell Brown was ordered to pay $15,000 in damages to Ms Noone, despite the court finding it was substantially true that Ms Noone was unfit to hold her role and incompetent because of “alcohol issues, her treatment of some patients and her dealings with staff (bullying), doctors, and relatives of patients”.
Judge Paul Smith also found Ms Mansell Brown had honestly held the opinion that Ms Noone was unfit and incompetent.
But the court found it was not true Ms Noone was dismissed from her previous employment because of missing drugs or alcohol issues, as Ms Mansell Brown had claimed.
Ms Noone said she was sad to be leaving and would miss the staff and residents.
“The staff, the board and the community all work in harmony to create a special and homely atmosphere. I’ve had my moments but it’s been worth it.”
Ms Noone will retire to Ballarat with her husband Paul.