Two centres told to lift their game Audit slams aged homes

TWO Townsville aged care homes have been found to have breached government standards, including one which may have placed the health of its clients at serious risk.

But the Baptist- run Carinity Fairfield Grange says it has reviewed and strengthened its policies and procedures with training and mentoring for key staff.

The other, Ozcare’s Villa Vincent, declined to comment on a finding that reportable assaults were not actioned in accordance with regulatory requirements, but inspectors said the home had rectified the failure since it was identified.

The treatment of people in aged care homes has been in the spotlight around Australia after some residents were found to be suffering violence, malnutrition and neglect.

The Federal Government’s Australian Aged Care Quality Agency has published audits on the Townsville homes.

It finds Fairfield Grange in Idalia failed to meet four accreditation standards including that clients were not consistently receiving appropriate clinical care and that medications were not consistently managed correctly.

The agency’s audit report said the failures “placed, or may place, the safety, health or wellbeing of a care recipient of the service at serious risk”.

The Department of Health was notified of the risk.

But a Carinity spokesman said there was no risk to residents at Fairfield Grange.

“The matters referred to are historical and were dealt with in November last year,” the spokesman said.

“During the agency’s review the auditors remarked on how happy the residents were and commented they would be pleased for their own mothers to be living here.

“There is always room for improvement and Carinity put in place new real- time technologies and other measures to oversee the provision of clinical care and achieve best practice last year. We also reviewed and strengthened policies and procedures with training and mentoring for key staff.

“Our people provide excellent quality of care. In fact, last year the family of a former resident donated his antique baby grand piano to Carinity in appreciation for the exemplary care we provided.”

On the Ozcare Villa Vincent, the audit review said inspectors had undertaken assessment contacts to monitor the home’s progress since the decision on reportable assaults failure and found the home had rectified the issue.