Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aged Care, Disabilities and Carers) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Santoro, the Minister for Ageing. Is the minister aware of fresh allegations on Lateline last night of the abuse of frail aged care residents? Didn’t the program note that there is now a third aged care facility in which allegations of abuse are being investigated by police? Can the minister confirm that a resident’s allegations of abuse at this unnamed facility in March of 2005 were dismissed by the provider, with police only being called nine months later when a second resident made similar allegations of abuse? When was the issue brought to the attention of the department and the minister? What action was taken? In addition, didn’t Lateline recount an incident in a fourth facility, Millward, in Victoria? What action has the minister taken to investigate the claim that in this facility an elderly female resident with a brain injury was forced to confront the person she alleged had assaulted her? Does the minister still have full confidence in the protection provided to frail elderly residents under the government’s aged care system?