Bupa is facing allegations that its poor care of a resident in Adelaide led to his death. Kevin Williams had been at the Bupa facility at Modbury for 12 weeks, before he died from an infected ulcer on his right hip. His daughter, Jillian Thomson, said he had open wounds, which looked like bed sores, all over him. “One of his hips, the bone was seriously just sticking out … and then his coccyx was black, the skin had died and there was a hole that you could literally see inside of him.” During his stay, Mr Williams’ family claims he was not showered for days and was handled roughly by staff. “He had fingernail cuts in his nose and his mouth. He said they had tried to force his medication in his mouth,” Mrs Thomson said. “I managed to get his shirt off on my own [one day] and on the top part of his right arm, I found a bruise mark with a hand print, it was a hand print. “You couldn’t say it wasn’t, you could see it distinctly, took the other side off and it was exactly the same, like someone had grabbed hold of him and squeezed him so tight.” Mr Williams’ granddaughter, Sharne Thomson, believes the coroner should re-examine his death. The family took their allegations to the coroner in August 2012, when Mr Williams died. They also went to the Federal Government’s Aged Care Complaints Commissioner. Most claims were thrown out due to a lack of evidence but Bupa did give Mr Williams the wrong medication. “We apologise unreservedly for the distress Mr Williams’ family felt and continues to feel,” Bupa said in a statement.
May 3, 2017
Epworth HealthCare is facing a (s.604 – Appeal of decisions) by Naicker before the Full Bench in Court 1 – Level 6 in Melbourne at 11am.
May 3, 2017
Quad Services Pty Ltd is facing a s.394 (Application for unfair dismissal remedy) before Commissioner Saunders on Level 3, 237 Wharf Road in Newcastle (Cohen).
May 3, 2017
Scope (Vic) Ltd is facing a (s.604 – Appeal of decisions) before the Full Bench in Court 1 – Level 6 in Melbourne (Sekirski).
May 2, 2017
A support worker who was injured when a 190kg man fell on her has been awarded a $332,189 WorkCover payout. Therese Gai McCormack, 50, suffered a painful shoulder injury that required surgery and took her former employer Former Ethnic Community Care Links Inc to court for negligence. Townsville District Court judge Stuart Durward published a judgment in favour of Ms McCormack. Ms McCormack went to the at Ayr Hospital in June 2011 to meet the man for his dental appointment. When she arrived, the “grossly obese man” was lying face down in a maxi taxi with his legs halfway out. “The plaintiff said she got into the maxi-taxi through the wheelchair access entry in order to comfort (the man) and knelt on the floor in front of (him) at his head,” the judgment read. Two hospital orderlies came out to assist, pulling his arms back in an attempt to lift him but the man either slipped or the orderlies dropped him and Ms McCormack’s right shoulder was forced into the metal leg of a seat. The judge assessed Ms McCormack’s future loss of earnings to be $400 a week for 12 years, totalling more than $170,000. Her past economic loss was calculated to be $121,028.
May 2, 2017
Lyndoch Living board president has defended a decision to sponsor the Grand Annual Steeplechase. Kerry Nelson said Lyndoch board member Peter Downs – who is also the Warrnambool Race Club chief executive officer – declared a pecuniary interest prior to the sponsorship deal being struck with Waterfront by Lyndoch Living for the iconic race. Mr Downs is on the Lyndoch Living board although he is not listed as a board member on the Lyndoch Living website. He joined the board eight months ago, well before the race club announced a three-year sponsorship arrangement in February with Waterfront by Lyndoch Living – a business arm of Lyndoch. Lyndoch Living is a not-for-profit organisation with a primary focus on aged care while Waterfront by Lyndoch Living is a business arm of the group. The sponsorship – understood to be worth more than $50,000 over the three years – has raised questions in the community because of the close association with Lyndoch Living.
May 2, 2017
An application for approval of the Southern Cross Care Broken Hill Limited and the ANMF Oasis Staff Enterprise Agreement 2015-2018 (s.185 – Application for approval of a single-enterprise agreement) will be the preserve of Commissioner Roe in his Melbourne chambers at 11.30am.
May 2, 2017
West Wimmera Health Service is to defend a s.394 (Application for unfair dismissal remedy) before Deputy President Gooley in his Melbourne chambers (Friebel).
