Bupa Griffith residents are “very afraid” their aged care home could be shut down over health problems, according to former Victoria Health Services Commissioner Beth Wilson.
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“A major concern people had was making sure their facility stayed open, because there’s a shortage of places in Griffith,” Dr Wilson said.
She heard these concerns on December 21 when she visited the aged care home to hear from around 50 residents and family members, some of whom have submitted formal complaints about the living conditions.
After the complaints were followed up the Department of Health issued Bupa Griffith with sanctions that stop them from receiving funding for new residents for at least six months.
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It’s not the only Bupa aged care home to have been hit with government sanctions; Dr Wilson was appointed by Bupa to visit other sanctioned branches as an independent expert.
During her visits to those other Bupa branches she spoke to many families about the problems they had experienced, and she found “the usual issues” were also in Griffith.
Some of the issues raised included communication failures, bad food, hygiene, lack of staff, the age of the building, lack of control of residents with dementia, and the lack of meaningful adult activities.
On the day some residents questioned why these problems were only now being brought up, and others thought it might be a political stunt by the government in the lead up to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety report.
Despite all the fears, concerns, and problems, Dr Wilson said she is optimistic that Bupa Griffith will continue to stay open and make a comeback.
She has seen other Bupa aged care homes hit with sanctions, but none of them have closed down.
Some of them have even had their sanctions lifted and their accreditation returned to them after they made sweeping changes to the way they operate, and Dr Wilson is hopeful Bupa Griffith can follow suit.
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Kenji Sato
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
