Australian Government Acts on Victorian Nursing Home
The Australian Government has imposed sanctions on St Benedict’s Private Nursing Home in the Melbourne suburb of Sandringham, as the nursing home had not fixed previous non-compliance.
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23 May 2009
The Australian Government yesterday imposed sanctions on St Benedict’s Private Nursing Home in the Melbourne suburb of Sandringham, as the nursing home had not fixed previous non-compliance.
The Department of Health and Ageing imposed sanctions following inadequate action by the provider to address issues of concern identified by the independent Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency and the Department.
St Benedict’s is a 35 place facility. Currently, it has 30 residents; of whom 25 are high care, 1 is low care and 4 are being assessed. The aged care home has 8 residents over the age of 90.
The Department of Health and Ageing had concerns about:
- Clinical care - failure to ensure that resident care plans are accurate and regularly reviewed; failure to ensure that staff have access to appropriate policies and procedures to guide best practice;
- Occupational Health and Safety - failure to develop and implement an effective occupational health and safety system; failure to identify and manage risks; failure to provide training to staff on occupational health and safety;
- Information Systems - failure to develop and implement effective systems for access to current and accurate information;
- Continuous Improvement - failure to provide education for staff in continuous improvement; failure to implement a framework for continuous improvement and review of performance; and
- Regulatory Compliance - failure to have system to demonstrate that all staff have police checks.
In the 2007-2008 financial year, St Benedict’s received $1.6 million in Australian Government funding for resident care.
Nationally, there are now 15 nursing homes under sanction out of the 2,830 aged care homes.
As part of the Australian Government’s response to the sanctions’ notice, tough measures are now in place. These include:
- Having to appoint an adviser with nursing experience (approved by the Commonwealth) to help the facility comply with responsibilities for a period of 6 months; and
- Not being eligible to receive Australian Government subsides for any new residents during the period of the sanctions for a period of 6 months.
“This Government is committed to continuing to work in partnership with older Australians, their families, staff, unions and providers to improve the quality of aged care in Australia.
“The Rudd Labor Government is committed to improving the care and quality of Australia’s nursing homes and its residents,” Mrs Elliot said.
Anyone with concerns about the care or welfare of residents should immediately contact the Department of Health and Ageing’s Complaints Investigation Scheme on 1 800 550 552.
For more information, contact Mrs Elliot's office on (02) 6277 7280
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