Vincent Court has welcomed the Federal Government’s Department of Health decision to lift sanctions after it successfully met the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s accreditation standards. Vincent Court, a 99-bed residential aged care facility, is part of the Macleay Valley Catholic Parish Kempsey and managed by Catholic Care of the Aged (CCA) Port Macquarie.
July 10, 2019
The results of a recent audit of aged care facilities has shown Cairns to offer some of the worst patient-to-nurse ratios in the state. The audit revealed the average care hours per resident per day in the federal electorate of Leichhardt amounted to just over two hours a day, which was almost half the recommended ratio. Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union said every facility checked across 30 federal electorates was chronically and dangerously understaffed but Leichhardt was one of the poorest performers and was in the bottom six electorates.
July 10, 2019
The Aged Care Guild has announced Victorian-based provider Medical and Aged Care Group as a new member.
July 10, 2019
Graphic images showing horrific pressure injuries suffered by an elderly woman allegedly neglected while in residential care have been shown at the Royal Commission into Aged Care. Shirley Fowler, 92, developed pressure ulcers on both her feet in 2017 that were initially missed by inadequately trained staff and became infected. One foot was so seriously injured it exposed bone and developed harmful necrotic tissue shown to the commission in photographs. Mrs Fowler then developed contractures in her legs, which resulted in the freezing of a limb in a foetal position due to the atrophy of muscles. She is now immobile and can only move her eyes, which may have been avoided if she had received physiotherapy and massaging, Mrs Fowler’s daughter Lyndall told the commission in Darwin on Tuesday.
July 10, 2019
Eastern Health has partnered with Eastern Community Legal Centre to develop a new support system to assist older people experiencing elder abuse in Melbourne’s east.
July 10, 2019
The Baptist Union of Queensland – Carinity will face a s.394 (Application for unfair dismissal remedy) in front of Fair Work Commissioner Booth in Chambers in Brisbane (Stacpoole).
July 10, 2019
An aged care worker accused of swindling a blind pensioner out of more than $300,000 has had her charges dismissed after a magistrate said there was a lack of evidence. Coomba Park woman Robyn Ann McMinn, 65, appeared in the Downing Centre Court on Monday facing seven charges of defrauding Richmond resident Ann Parker out of $312,950 from 2014 to 2017. The court heard the pair were friends and had an arrangement for Ms McMinn to provide Ms Parker with in-home support and care. The agreement involved Ms Parker providing Ms McMinn with authority to withdraw up to $10,000 per week from her bank and pensioner accounts to pay for grocery shopping, bills and other household goods. In his ruling, Magistrate Garry Still said there was insufficient evidence Ms McMinn accessed the accounts to dishonestly obtained funds over the three year period. The court heard Ms McMinn provided Ms Parker with receipts and change from items purchased on her behalf. “Ms Parker said she authorised sums of $1000 and $5000 to be taken out of her accounts each week, twice a week. But the accounts show $600-800 a couple of times a week,” Magistrate Still said. “The amounts withdrawn are not inconsistent with the purchase of food, bills, the purchase of cigarettes which appears to have been in the order of $150 twice a week and the purchase of other items — ovens, chairs, vacuums, household goods and linen. “There were also suggestions made that Ms McMinn was gambling via poker machines but there’s no direct evidence … the money withdrawn was used for such purposes. “(The charges) cannot be proved beyond a reasonable doubt.” Ms McMinn pleaded not guilty to the charges. She was granted bail after her arrest in Foster in October, 2018.
July 10, 2019
A Geelong hospital nurse has been spared a conviction after pleading guilty to falsely claiming thousands of dollars in parenting benefits. Single mum Stacey McCain pleaded guilty to one charge of obtaining financial advantage by deception at the Geelong Magistrates’ Court on Monday. The court heard the 31-year-old mother falsely received more than $40,000 in single parenting payments over several months between 2016 and 2017. McCain’s lawyer told the court her client did not fully understand the need to report her income and had telephoned the relevant departments 42 times over the period of offending. The court was told McCain believed corrections to any overpayments would have been made when she lodged her tax return. Through her lawyer McCain said she said had an accomplished nursing career at Geelong hospital and was currently studying a masters degree in a specialist field. The lawyer said McCain had shown “real and genuine remorse” by selling her only asset — a block of land in Drysdale — to fully repay the stolen funds. “She is extremely concerned that a conviction could impact her nursing career,” the lawyer said. Magistrate John Lesser said the amount stolen was “very high” but acknowledged McCain’s lack of prior history and struggles with mental illness. Mr Lesser fined McCain $2000, without conviction, and placed her on a 12 month good behaviour bond.
