TWO elderly patients at a Victorian nursing home weighed less than 25 kilograms when Federal Government inspectors swooped for a surprise inspection, it was reported today.

Management at a Victorian nursing home could face criminal charges after the Federal Government said the facility had risked residents' health and safety.

A snap inspection by the federal Department of Health and Ageing found 10 patients at the 100-bed Kirralee Residential Aged Care Facility in East Ballarat, were significantly underweight.

Two patients, aged 98 and 86 and suffering dementia, weighed less than 25kg, the Herald Sun said.

The department has asked Victorian police to investigate whether the home's management had a criminal negligence case to answer, a department spokeswoman said.

Food and water had been provided but the patients' intake had not been properly monitored, she said.

The government has imposed strict sanctions on the home after the inspection on July 18 found problems in 33 out of 44 areas of clinical care.

"The situation at Kirralee is entirely unacceptable; in the interests of all residents, the department has imposed strong sanctions," Ageing Minister Justine Elliot said.

Under the sanctions, an administrator will be appointed and clinical practices at the nursing home will be supervised by a nurse adviser for six months.

The home would get no Commonwealth subsidies for new residents for six months.

Management from Aged Care Services 27 (Kirralee) Pty Ltd, which runs the home, refused to comment late last night. They met with patients and relatives last night.

Margaret Barkas told ABC radio her 88-year-old mother had deteriorated since moving to the home 15 months ago.

"I've gone in there and I've been feeding her and giving her drinks and stuff and she goes, 'Oh, God, that was really good', she's so thirsty," she said.

"She's so thirsty and you can see on her lips they're all dry and you know, it's just disgusting."

Source: AAP