Whistleblowers say authorities have failed to protect the vulnerable.

NOBODY knows just how long it took Barry Smith to die.

His body, caked in blood and vomit, was discovered when he failed to appear for breakfast at the Cobram care facility he called home.

Leanne Fitzpatrick, a former worker at Moara Shira Lodge, vividly recalled the day in April last year when Mr Smith died of a suspected heart attack.

"Brett, my colleague who was on duty in the morning, was shaken up when I came to relieve him at 1pm," she said. "There were tears in his eyes as he described seeing the body on the floor.

"He told me how Barry was still in his clothes from the day before and had one boot on and one boot off, as if he'd died while getting undressed and ready for bed.

"But what really stunned me was when he said the alarm in Barry's room was still going off when he found him."

The alarm was linked to the owner's home and office so residents could call for help at night when there were no staff in the lodge. Mr Smith might have been calling for help from any time around 8pm — but, if so, it never arrived.

Ms Fitzpatrick said she was still haunted by Mr Smith's death and the possibility that it could have been prevented.

When first asked about the death, the owner of the home, Anita Henley, told The Sunday Age: "I can't remember who you're talking about. That must have been before my time."

Ms Henley's critics — including several former employees — say the home has failed to provide proper care to 30 vulnerable residents since she took over the business in 2001.

The accusations they make are serious. They claim Ms Henley did not always give residents the correct medication, used painkillers belonging to residents, intimidated frail clients and provided so little food that many were undernourished.

"So much has been going wrong there that you sound as if you're making things up if you list them," said Ms Fitzpatrick, an employee between 2006 and April this year.

But it is not just Ms Henley's management in the firing line. The former workers said the Department of Human Services, which oversees all supported residential services, should have taken more action to ensure good care.

"The department must take the blame for leaving her in place for so long," said Lyndal Sleep, who made numerous complaints about care standards during her employment at Moara Shira Lodge from 2000 to October 2006.

"Human Services are supposed to be responsible for these people but they have clearly failed in that duty. It seems as if nobody wants to know."

Last December the department hired the multinational security firm Pinkerton to investigate the home. They interviewed former residents and workers, among others, but the findings have never been made public.

The only action taken since then is that conditions have been put on Ms Henley's licence as a care home proprietor. The conditions, imposed last month, demand she treat her clients with dignity, respect their privacy and be more transparent when dealing with their finances.

Ms Henley, a tall woman of 69, rejected the criticisms levelled at her.

She lives in a detached three-bedroom house in the grounds at Moara Shira Lodge but owns a home in Brighton and has told staff of another house in Sydney. She drives a late-model BMW.

Ms Henley says the allegations are from disgruntled former employees out to ruin her reputation.

"All these things they say are totally false. This is a small town and people have grudges they want to settle."

Most would agree that Ms Henley's management got off to a bad start. Within months of moving in, her son Greg was involved in an incident which left a resident with a black eye and bruised ribs.

Ms Henley insists that her son, of similar age to the resident, acted in self-defence after being struck.

Amputee David Reuss recalled his time at the home bitterly.

"It was worse than a prison. We were treated like animals, constantly being screamed at and abused," he said from his new care home in Bright.

Mr Reuss, an unstable diabetic, was rushed to hospital from the home in an ambulance last October and almost died on the way. He was in intensive care for two months, and insisted he had been denied medical attention by Ms Henley — a claim backed by Ms Fitzpatrick, who said he suffered for at least four days before an ambulance was called.

Mr Reuss also claimed he rarely received any of the painkillers prescribed by his doctor because, he said, Ms Henley "was taking them for her bloody back".

This claim is supported by a written statement from former worker Cathy Neal, who was flown to Newcastle late last year to drive Ms Henley back from holiday.

Before boarding a plane to NSW, Ms Neal was ordered to pack a large quantity of drugs for Ms Henley, some of which, it is alleged, belonged to Mr Reuss.

Ms Henley denied this categorically : "I have my own medication which I take for my back, why would I need to take anybody else's? It's a ridiculous suggestion."

Tina Powney, an employee during 2007 and 2008, said the use of medication concerned her.

"There were many times when they were given prescription drugs which were not meant for them," she said. "What most shocked me though, was when I'd start the early shift and find the alarm still ringing from the night. The only way that could happen was if Anita hadn't responded to them."

Ms Fitzpatrick spelled out her concerns about food in an email to the Office of the Public Advocate in May last year.

She wrote: "The clients are given one hot meal a day in the evening with portions so small that some residents miss out on meat. For example one leg of lamb (bone included) with not more than 2kg of uncooked meat is used to serve 31 residents plus Anita."

Ms Henley's critics said some residents lived in a state of fear.

"I've seen her abuse people in front of all the other residents calling them names like 'Dumbo' or 'Idiot' when they may have learning difficulties," Ms Fitzpatrick said.

A community worker in Cobram who has regular dealings with residents agreed. Speaking on condition of anonymity, she said: "They've told me of the punitive regime that Henley creates. Nearly every resident I speak to seem unhappy there."

Ms Fitzpatrick said Ms Henley resisted any questioning of her authority.

"These people are terrified of her and she likes it that way as it means they won't tell on her to any authorities. Most of the residents don't have family they're close to and can confide in, so she becomes this all-powerful figure that controls all aspects of their life."

A DHS spokesman said the department had "put conditions on the proprietor at Moara Shira and we will be monitoring the situation".

Anita Henley insists she's not going anywhere.

"Everything these people have said is rubbish and I won't give in to them."

Anita Henley's response

THROUGH her solicitor, Anita Henley yesterday strongly denied all the allegations made about her. Ms Henley:

• Maintains she responds to all emergency alarms at Moara Shira Lodge and carries out regular checks on the residents each evening.
• States that she treats clients with courtesy and respect and denies verbally abusing and bullying them.
• Says that Barry Smith died of a massive heart attack and that no emergency alarm was set off by him.

Source: The Age - Tom Reilly [Photo: Craig Sillitoe]