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PDF printable version of Update Kirralee Aged Care (PDF 27 KB)

29 July 2008

The Minister for Ageing, Mrs Justine Elliot today provided an update on the Kirralee Aged Care facility in East Ballarat.

The Department of Health and Ageing is currently looking at the more than 30 other nursing homes in Victoria, NSW, South Australia and Tasmania connected to the Japara group and its subsidiary companies which own the Kirralee Residential Aged Care Facility.

This is standard procedure under the Department and the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency’s Quality Assurance framework and has already commenced.

“If there are any problems that are identified then appropriate action will be taken,” Mrs Elliot said.

The Department of Health and Ageing has referred information to the Victorian Police and had discussions with them yesterday. It would not, however, be appropriate for me to speculate on the outcome of any Police investigation into this matter.

Last night (July 28), a residents and relatives meeting was held and attended by about 100 residents and relatives.

At this stage, 91 residents remain at the facility.

The Department of Health and Ageing has imposed tough sanctions on Kirralee Residential Aged Care Facility in East Ballarat – following the identification of serious risk to residents.

The Department of Health and Ageing advised that the measures are “among the strongest ever taken against a care provider” by this Government.

The risks were identified as a result of one of the more than 3,000 unannounced visits by the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency.

The increased visits were announced by the Minister for Ageing, Mrs Justine Elliot earlier this year as part of her plans to improve the quality of aged care in Australia.

The unannounced visit to Kirralee took place on July 18 and was then followed by a thorough assessment of all the standards in the home.

The Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency assessors identified five areas of “serious risk” including nutrition and hydration. In total, the assessors identified there may be problems in 33 out of 44 categories or “outcomes”, although the Agency has yet to make a final decision.

The tough measures include:

• The appointment of an administrator, approved by the Commonwealth, who has the appropriate skills, qualifications and background to assist the home to comply with their responsibilities and care for residents for a period of six months;
• Requiring the nursing home to appoint a Nurse Adviser to supervise the clinical activity of the nursing home for a period of six months;
• Progressive revocation of bed licences, meaning the Department will take away beds as residents leave the facility;
• The centre will not be eligible to receive Commonwealth subsidies for new residents for the six month period;
• Prohibit the further allocation of places for a period of twelve (12) months; and
• Requiring the approved provider to provide, at its expense, training for its staff, officers, employees and agents.

If Kirralee Aged Care does not implement these actions, the Department of Health and Ageing will move to revoke the nursing home’s approved provider status.

“I make no apologies – the first priority is the safety, health and welfare of residents,” Mrs Elliot said.

“The situation at Kirralee is entirely unacceptable; in the interests of all residents, the Department of Health and Ageing has imposed strong sanctions.

“That is also why Commonwealth Nursing Officers and assessors of the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency are visiting daily to monitor resident care.

“The Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency assessors also had concerns about significant weight loss of several residents,” Mrs Elliot said.

On 25 July 2008, through a thorough review audit, the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency (the Agency) identified additional serious risk to the health, safety and well-being of residents in relation to:

• Clinical care;
• Specialised nursing care needs
• Pain management; and
• Skin care.

In addition to the outcomes identified as serious risk a preliminary finding by the Agency assessors indicate that there are possibly a further 28 non-compliant outcomes.

In total, there are potentially 33 out of a possible 44 non compliant outcomes.

Media contact: (02) 6277 7280 or 0403 141 300