Oakden mental health nursing home had too few staff to watch all patients at night, a former nurse has told the inquest into an Adelaide man’s death after he was attacked by another resident with dementia. The 2008 death of Graham Rollbusch, 70, at the Makk and McLeay nursing home is under investigation by coroner Mark Johns. The inquest was earlier told Mr Rollbusch was found face down in his room in a pool of his own blood and dementia patient Peter Palmer, 84, was found in a nearby alcove with blood on his hands. He was charged with murder but died before a trial. Registered nurse Danilo Valdez Laurente worked on the night of Mr Rollbusch’s death, and told the coroner it was usual practice to have three staff on a night shift. The inquest previously heard Mr Palmer was known to be verbally and physically abusive towards staff and other residents and would wander around the ward at night. Mr Laurente said a staff member would keep watch on Mr Palmer from the nurses’ station. When questioned by Mr Johns about how Mr Palmer was monitored while all three staff members conducted rounds, Mr Laurente conceded they could not watch him continuously. Mr Laurente was asked if enough staff were rostered on night shift and responded: “In my view, no.” He said four or five more staff were needed at night. The inquest previously heard Mr Palmer was twice-before violent towards Mr Rollbusch ahead of the attack that led to his death. Mr Laurente told the court Mr Palmer had been moved to an “isolation room” due to his aggressive behaviour up to three weeks before Mr Rollbusch died.
May 31, 2017
A Melbourne hospital has apologised after the confidential medical records of more than a dozen patients were found on a train. The privacy breach at the Northern Hospital in Epping involved 16 patients.
May 31, 2017
A s.604 (Appeal of decision) involving Dr Allan Clarke T/A CJ Orthopaedics Pty Ltd and Glenyce Ham has been permanently sidelined by Vice President Catanzariti, Deputy President Hamilton and Commissioner Riordan. Ms Ham is stuck with just the 3 weeks salary.
May 31, 2017
San Carlo Homes for the Aged & Alleva and Others are running a s.576(2)(aa) (Promoting cooperative and productive workplace relations and preventing disputes) application before Commissioner Cribb on-site San Carlo Italian Aged Care, 970 Plenty Road, South Morang VIC 3752 at 10am.
May 31, 2017
Anne Locco’s mother fractured her skull, broke her neck and sustained a huge cut to her head when she fell out of a lifting device at her aged care home as two carers tried to move her from her bed. Moira McCarthy died in palliative care 11 excruciating days later. “The poor old pet didn’t know what was going on,” Ms Locco says of her 85-year-old mother. “She hadn’t had anything to eat or drink because of the fractured neck, which meant she couldn’t swallow. She passed away on May 5 [2013].” Four years later, though, Ms Locco and the nursing home where her mother fell are still waiting for the Coroner to make a finding about how she died and who, if anyone, was to blame. Until that happens, nothing much else can move. Advertisement The home, the RSL’s Vasey home in East Brighton, will make no comment until the report is finalised. The Coroner’s spokeswoman could say nothing except she expected the case to be finalised “shortly”. Ms Locco said the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner was also waiting for the finding.
May 31, 2017
Global Care Incorporated has a s.365 – Application to deal with contraventions involving dismissal (consent arbitration) being determined by Deputy President Bull in his Perth chambers (Granitto).
May 31, 2017
An application for approval of the Lendlease Engineering Pty Ltd New South Wales Enterprise Agreement 2016 (s.185 – Application for approval of a single-enterprise agreement) is with Fair Work Commissioner Roe in Court 9 – Level 5 in Melbourne for a decision at 2pm.
May 31, 2017
Benalla’s mayor believes the deaths of Isabel and Judy Stephens were “simply a tragic accident”, as autopsies are conducted to determine how the mother and daughter died. After a week-long search for Isabel, aged 89, and her daughter Judy, 53, their bodies were found on Saturday in bushland near Samaria, about 20 minutes’ drive from the Tatong pub where they shared one of their last meals. Police will not yet comment on how the pair died. Cooinda chief executive Margaret Aldous said “The Cooinda Community is deeply saddened by Isabel and Judy Stephen’s deaths. Our thoughts, love and support is with their family and friends at this incredible sad and difficult time.” Judy, who had an intellectual disability and was insulin dependent, lived with eight other residents at the church’s cottages.
