On the surface, Dorothy Winifred Pearson was a dutiful citizen, helping her elderly neighbour with her groceries. But the 57-year-old South Dunedin resident was not what she seemed. As soon as Pearson discovered the PIN for the woman’s eftpos card, she “mercilessly” ripped her off, bleeding the victim’s accounts of more than $7000 over 10 months. When the woman, who suffers from mild dementia, discovered the funds were missing, she ended up at the police station watching footage of someone making a withdrawal from her account. She recognised the swindler immediately. “I don’t swear but I said, for the first time ever ‘that’s the bitch, Dorothy Pearson, and she lives right across the street from me’,” the victim said. The rare expletive “eased the pain” at the time, the committed churchgoer said. Pearson appeared in the Dunedin District Court this week after pleading guilty to 10 counts of using a document for a pecuniary advantage. The defendant, who had been a caregiver for 20 years before losing her job recently, had a clean criminal record and argued she should not be photographed in court because she was not a threat to the community. Judge Philip Connell, though, said the offending was significant and potential future employers should be forewarned about the woman’s ability to commit such fraud.
August 17, 2018
TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT – Small Business Fair Dismissal Code – misconduct – ss.388, 394 Fair Work Act 2009 – application for unfair dismissal remedy – applicant summarily dismissed – allegations of serious misconduct including sexual misconduct, riotous behaviour and claims of misappropriation of money by respondent – respondent was small business – Small Business Fair Dismissal Code (Code) considered – Commission satisfied that conduct amounted to serious conduct as defined in Reg. 1.07 – satisfied respondent held reasonable belief that applicant’s conduct was sufficiently serious to justify dismissal (except in relation to allegations of sexual misconduct) – Code complied with – application dismissed.Abou-Eid v The Islamic Society of Victoria Inc.
August 16, 2018
There are fears for an elderly man who has gone missing from an aged care facility. Richard Huxley, 68, was last seen at 6.30am this morning (August 16) at the facility in Botany. A police spokesman said there are serious concerns for his welfare due to several medical conditions he has. He added he may appear confused or disoriented.
August 16, 2018
HammondCare has been served with a s.394 (Application for unfair dismissal remedy) to be heard before Fair Work Commissioner Cambridge in Hearing Room 12-1 – Level 12 in Sydney (Taylor).
August 16, 2018
Southern Cross Care said it has cut 128 hours from its roster at Assumption Villa in Leeton.
August 16, 2018
Ambulance Victoria is set to defend a s.394 (Application for unfair dismissal remedy) in front of Fair Work Commissioner Harper-Greenwell in his Melbourne chambers (Singh).
August 16, 2018
Former Labor federal health minister Nicola Roxon is a busy public company body. At retirement village operator Lifestyle Communities, she has been paid $66,717 since her September 1 appointment.
August 15, 2018
Many residents at an Albion Park nursing home do not feel safe due to the “intrusive and aggressive” behaviour of other residents, while others suspect staff of stealing their personal items. These are just two of the damning findings contained in a federal government agency report into Ridgeview Aged Care which was released this week. The home met just eight of the expected 44 national standards of care after an audit by the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency (AACQA) in June. The home’s accreditation as a provider of aged care services will be revoked in seven weeks unless it meets all standards. According to the AACQA report, several areas of health and personal care were lacking at the home. Medication was “not managed safely or correctly” with staff administering prescribed medications without the supervision of a registered nurse. Pain management was also not sufficient, with residents “not as free as possible from pain” and the effectiveness of analgesia not adequately monitored. Alarmingly the report found that “care recipients do not receive adequate nourishment or hydration” and that unexpected weight loss of some residents had not been managed.
