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

It is with a very strong sense of disappointment and anger that I propose this matter of public importance. I have a strong sense of disappointment because, once again, public trust in our residential aged-care system has been tested and it has tested badly. I have a sense of anger, and it arises from the fact that this situation could and should never have occurred. The report of the assessment undertaken from 6 to 15 August 2007 is the most appalling and distressing description of what is clearly not care for the residents of Belvedere Park Nursing Home in Victoria. It is the most distressing report I have read in my almost three years of being the shadow minister for ageing.

Whilst not wanting to dwell on some of the findings from the assessment committee, I do think it is important that people understand how bad this facility has been to the 25 residents who live there. Residents and relatives stated to the assessors that the stench in the visitors toilet was so overpowering it made them vomit. Staff had attempted to camouflage the oppressive odour with the use of aromatherapy oils. The living room is filthy, the carpet is frayed, reeking of urine, and furniture is ripped and stained. There is built-up grime on the walls and floors, and an offensive odour permeates the home. A resident was consistently urinating in a handbasin in the community areas. There is delay to call bell response. Some residents call out loudly to attract the attention of staff. However, these calls were observed by the assessment team to go unanswered. A resident requiring palliative care was not receiving pain management. Seven of the 25 residents had lost significant amounts of weight over the last few months. The evening meal commenced at 4.30 pm, meaning that if residents did not have supper they had nothing to eat until 8 am the next day—some 15 hours later.

The assessment team found that a hot water tap delivered only cold water after nine o’clock in the morning. Both of the lifting machines that are used for showering were rusty; one was completely rusty. This line completely appals me: activity resources for residents included childish puzzles, such as Thomas the Tank Engine; activity centres for babies; card games for children; and soft toys. Taped music for children was played for the residents. The recording invited the ‘children’ to sing along with the song. This was the most distressing report that I had ever read, and then I got to this finding:

One resident was observed in a semi-recumbent position with the over bed table over his head. The resident was attempting to eat the meal and was observed eating with his/her hands.

The person was in bed with a table sitting across their lap. They had slumped to the point that their head was under the over table and they were so hungry that they were attempting to take the food off the plate so that they could eat. This happened this year in an aged-care facility in Victoria. As I said, this could have been avoided.

The company that owns this particular facility has a track record of poor performance in the provision of aged care in Australia, and this government knows that. This man, Graeme Menere, lost the ability to be a key personnel member at an approved provider back in 2000. The facility that he was a part-owner of, Kenilworth, was closed because the then Minister for Aged Care, Mrs Bronwyn Bishop, called it the worst aged-care facility in Australia. You would think this government would have had a bit of an eye to a facility that had been sanctioned, I think, four times between 1998 and 2000 but continued to provide so-called care at Belvedere, clearly without the appropriate monitoring that our older people deserve.

Mr Graeme Menere operated two nursing homes in Victoria: Belvedere Park and Kenilworth Private. Mr Menere operated the facilities under different corporate structures. As we heard in question time today, Mr Menere received a suspended jail sentence in May 1998 for stalking a nursing home employee. Rightly, the government said that this was not a person who should be running an aged-care facility in Australia. Rightly, he lost his status as an approved provider. Rightly, he could no longer be a key personnel member under the act. But we know, from the reports in the media and from commentary that we have heard, that Mr Graeme Menere continued to provide those services by managing Belvedere.

One journalist said to me that he rang up to speak to Mr Graeme Menere and was told, ‘Ring back at lunchtime; he’ll be back then.’ This is a person who is not meant to be near the aged-care facility, but he is continuing to manage the day-to-day operations of this place. Back in 1998 the federal opposition brought Mr Menere’s conviction to the attention of the minister at the time. It was through our actions that we have kept this government watching and making sure that its own Aged Care Act is being complied with.

In 1998, 1999 and 2000, Belvedere Park Nursing Home was found not to be meeting aged-care standards. In January 1999, residents were found at serious risk in relation to 17 separate aspects of their care. From June 1999, Kenilworth Private Nursing Home was found not to be meeting standards. Five sanctions were applied during 2000 and then funding was cut in 2001. The provider appealed the sanctions to the AAT and won. That has just happened again. Hasn’t the government learnt anything about how to ensure compliance with AAT principles when they are ensuring that their act is being complied with?

As I said, the nursing home was widely reported by Mrs Bishop to be the worst nursing home in Australia. In 2001 Kenilworth went into receivership and was closed.