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.
