HOW IT HAPPENED
JULY 8, 2019
Notice of termination prepared by Earle Haven owner People Care advising subcontractor Help Street that its licence to occupy Hibiscus House and Orchid House in the facility’s nursing wing will be revoked as of 5pm on Friday, August 9, 2019. The notice follows complaints from family of residents who were concerned about their care.
JULY 10
10am: Notice hand-delivered to Help Street at a meeting with People Care’s finance manager. Afternoon: Help Street removes IT servers from the facility. These servers contain residents’ care plans and progress notes. Residents’ paper medication files remain on site.
Other staff members and residents remain unaware of what is taking place.
3.50pm: People Care solicitor emails Help Street’s Global CEO Kristofer Bunker confirming a phone conversation they had that afternoon. This record indicates Mr Bunker’s acceptance of the notice and request for a longer period to manage a smooth transition out.
5.17pm: Mr Bunker emails People Care solicitor with a demand for payment of $3.9 million (plus GST), warning that without 50 per cent payment by noon on July 11, 2019 Hibiscus House and Orchid House would be closed.
JULY 11
8.45am: People Care’s owner and managing director Arthur Miller calls Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union officials to advise that he has not paid Help Street and that he believes Help Street’s Global CEO will leave the country. 9am: Help Street’s clinical care coordinator books removalist. Packing of items begins shortly afterwards and the removal truck is onsite from midmorning. 10.16am: People Care responds to Help Street’s demand for payment with a conditional undertaking that People Care would pay
money owing “up to the date of departure from the premises by Help Street”.
1.30pm: Care staff onsite are advised by Help Street’s Global CEO that the company is going into administration. Staff are told they will not be paid and, if they stay, they will not be insured. Staff arriving for the afternoon shift are told the same information. Despite this advice most staff remain well into the night, with additional staff arriving to lend a hand. Many are in shock and begin to call family members of residents It is at this point there was an alleged shouting match between Help Street’s CEO and Arthur Miller.
1.33pm: Triple-0 call made by Help Street’s clinical care coordinator.
Residents tell of items being removed from their rooms by removalists and documents disappearing.
Family members allege they were told by police that they could not prevent the removal of equipment because it belonged to Help Street.
2.13pm: Queensland Ambulance Service forward commander arrives on scene.
2.15pm: The Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service declare a code brown and begin an emergency response.
Between 4-5pm: Queensland authorities decide it is not safe for residents to remain at Earle Haven and preferred option is to evacuate to other residential aged care facilities. Many residents are confused and visibly upset, while staff work to identify each patient and contact their family members.
Approx 5pm: The Lodge Restaurant in the village delivers dinner for residents of Hibiscus House and Orchid House. CCTV footage shows service beginning about 5.20pm in the Hibiscus House dining room.
Approx 6pm: Evacuation
starts.
Late that evening: A resident suffers a fall shortly after moving to new facility before staff there can assess the level of care. The resident is transferred to hospital but dies five weeks later. Accoding to the Carnell Inquiry, eight residents were sent to hospital after being relocated to other residential aged care facilities. Three residents have since died.
JULY 12
Approximately 12.30am:
Evacuation complete with final resident transferred from the facility. Residents who had been relocated complained of having to share rooms, when they preciously had their own.
DAYS FOLLOWING:
While some were happy to be out of Earle Haven high-care facility, others were not. One resident reported he was sleeping on an armchair because he was woken each night by others.
JULY 17
Queensland Government launches own investigation into the closure of Earle Haven’s high-care facility.
JULY 19
Federal inquiry commences.
AUGUST 5–9
The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety holds hearings on the closure of the facility.
NOVEMBER 11
Twenty-three recommendations from the federal inquiry published.
NOVEMBER 28
Twelve recommendations from the state inquiry were published. Source: Inquiry into Events at Earle Haven and Gold Coast Bulletin