Earle Haven was ‘chaotic’

AN “asset strip” at a “chaotic” Gold Coast nursing home prevented residents from remaining safely on site, a State Government investigation has been told.

Gold Coast Health CEO Ron Calvert said more than 100 of his staff involved in the transfer of 71 elderly patients at the Earle Haven complex at Nerang on July 11 could not access an accurate or current list of residents.

Emergency services had been called to Earle Haven after management group HelpStreet left the facility over a contract dispute with the home’s owner, People Care.

“The option of establishing temporary contracts for existing staff was explored,” Mr Calvert said.

“It soon became clear we didn’t need to pursue that further as it came back to us the site was absolute chaos.

“It was an asset strip – phones and equipment are gone. It was a bit difficult because we had no photo ID.”

The two-day inquiry into Aged Care, End-of-Life and Palliative Care, and Voluntary Assisted Dying in Southport was also told of electronic equipment being taken, including airconditioners, and a blanket being stripped from a bed while residents looked on.

The hearing was yesterday told:

Three staff members had been dismissed over alleged elder abuse.

The computer server containing patient information had been removed a day earlier, on July 10.

A staff member was concerned about the number of “inexperienced agency staff” at the facility.

The psychotropic medication reportedly used to restrain 70 per cent of residents was used “only if needed”.

Despite the “chaotic” scenes of mattresses, fridges and food trolleys being removed, People Care nurse administrator Karen Heard denied patients were in danger and believed the centre could have remained open.

A nurse was afraid she would “have her head bashed in” for supplying Gold Coast Health staff with patient information.

Former HelpStreet staff have now been paid some money owed.

Earle Haven owner Arthur Miller was summoned to give evidence yesterday but was unavailable due to illness.

Both People Care’s director Mr Miller and HelpStreet’s global CEO Kristofer Bunker were at the nursing home on July 11, the hearing was told.

Karlene Willcocks, the Gold Coast Health executive director who was at the home from 3pm on July 11, told the hearing: “It didn’t look like it was under control. (Ms Heard) told me staff would be arriving. There was no evidence of that.”

Outdated or missing records also prevented the distribution of medication, the inquiry was told. Patient notes were strewn over the floors, which meant in some cases drugs were not administered.

However, Ms Heard argued Queensland Health staff would not have been able to make the decision that the facility was unsafe.

“I felt People Care could still operate. I didn’t make that decision lightly,” she said, near tears. Ms Heard acknowledged the removal of the server the day before was “dangerous” and without it the facility would only have been able to operate for a short time.

She also said she believed the removal of items by HelpStreet was intended to put pressure on Mr Miller to get him to hand over some of the $3.2 million it had demanded the night before.

Former HelpStreet clinical manager Telecia Tuccori told the hearing three separate staff members were stood down over alleged elder abuse in the months before the evacuation.

All incidents were reported to management by staff and police had been notified.

BULLETIN VIEW, P22