The Age: Orietta Guerrera

LANDSCAPED gardens surround Broughton Hall, shielding residents from Camberwell's bustling shopping centre several hundred metres away.

But the food poisoning outbreak has shone the spotlight on the 59-year-old facility.

Set in a 19th-century mansion, Broughton Hall was founded in 1948 by the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne and is part of Benetas, a not-for-profit group, owned by Anglicare, that in 2003 was acknowledged as Australia's top provider of aged-care homes. Benetas is also the parent company of Ellis Residential Care, the operator of George Vowell Nursing Home in Mount Eliza, where four elderly women were allegedly sexually assaulted by a carer.

In the past 10 days, more than 20 of Broughton Hall's residents have shown symptoms of gastroenteritis and four have died. Management's failure to promptly notify the state's health authority and residents' families has sparked claims of a cover-up.

Yesterday, Melbourne's Anglican Archbishop, Dr Philip Freier, while sending his condolences to the families of the four dead, expressed full confidence in Broughton Hall's staff. "Benetas has an enviable reputation in the aged-care field, recognised by its peers," he said.

Australian Medical Association Victorian president Dr Mark Yates said that Anglican aged-care had a very good reputation.

Elder Abuse Prevention Association executive director Lillian Jeter said it was another example of residential care managers attempting to conceal events to minimise the negative impact on business.

"It's a case of 'let's keep this hidden, let's not pull public awareness or scrutiny behind our closed doors, and hopefully we'll get away with it'," she said.

Family members of past residents at the home said they were given little cause for concern during their relatives' stay.