Aged care boss says sorry to residents

THE boss of an aged care provider subject to the scrutiny of a royal commission has apologised to residents and their relatives for the adverse consequences of staffing cuts.

Southern Cross Care chief executive Richard Sadek used his appearance yesterday at the Hobart hearing of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety to say sorry.

The commission has heard multiple stories of the neglect of residents at two of the provider’s Tasmanian facilities — Yaraandoo at Somerset, near Burnie, and Glenara Lakes, at Youngtown in Launceston.

“We’re not about providing poor care,’’ Mr Sadek said.

“Our 47 years of existence is about providing the highest quality of care. So I apologise and I say I’m sorry for them [for enduring] the tension and the anxiety they have had.”

He also admitted the organisation did not properly support the previous manager of Yaraandoo, Patrick Anderson, who gave evidence to the hearing on Monday that he feared for his job if he protested against the cuts.

Mr Sadek agreed to a suggestion from counsel assisting the commission, Paul Bolster, that the process for handling complaints at Yaraandoo was “effectively non-existent”.

Mr Sadek said Southern Cross Care had lost more than $1 million from the process to maintain accreditation for Yaraandoo after the facility was sanctioned last November.

But he said the centre was important to the organisation and that its closure was not contemplated by management.

The hearing continues.