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TONY EASTLEY: Police are to investigate a Victorian aged care home after a surprise inspection apparently found some residents weren't getting enough to eat and drink.

The Federal Government says the problems were uncovered as part of a step up in random checks of homes, but the Health Services Union says it was because residents' families had complained of problems.

Samantha Donovan reports.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: The Kirralee aged care home in Ballarat, west of Melbourne, is part of the Aged Care Services Australia Group which according to its website has 33 facilities in Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales and South Australia.

The Federal Minister for Ageing, Justine Elliot, says that inspectors on a surprise visit found some of the home's 100 or so elderly residents were at serious risk.

The home's standards were then assessed in detail and problems were found in the amount of food and water given to some residents as well as the adequacy of their clinical and nursing care, pain management and skin care.

The Federal Government is claiming credit for the discovery of problems at the home.

JUSTINE ELLIOT: It isn't good enough, that's why I certainly brought in a whole range of tough measures and one of those is the unannounced visits and that's what brought this situation about. They discovered on this unannounced visit the situation. These are the strongest measures ever taken against a nursing home by this government. It's because of the very serious concerns I have about the situation at Kirralee.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Justine Elliot says her department is asking Victoria Police to investigate the Kirralee aged care home.

The Department of Ageing is also appointing an administrator and nurse advisor to guide the home's operator for the next six months, revoking bed licences as residents leave the facility, refusing to subsidise new residents and demanding the home's operator give staff further training at its own expense.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Jeff Jackson, Victorian Secretary of the Health Services Union, believes the problems at the Kirralee aged care home didn't come to light because of a random inspection.

JEFF JACKSON: The union has good reason to believe there were complaints with regards to this aged care facility and it wasn't just a spot check stand alone. So look the Federal Government may be claiming that it's done the right thing, it certainly has because it's imposed sanctions and that should ensure the safety of the residents at the nursing home.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Residents' families met with the home's operators last night.

WOMAN: Concern, very concerned.

WOMAN 2: I'm just hoping that these suits that are in there and their women with their power dressing and that are not going to have to end up in a home one day because god knows what's going to happen.

WOMAN 3: They're going to look at all the non compliant issues and do what they have to do to fix them.

WOMAN 4: A lady said that her husband had seven, you know a singlet for each day and she would go looking for these singlets but there was none to be found.

WOMAN 5: But I've gone in there and I've been feeding her and giving her drinks and stuff and she goes oh god that's really good because you know she's so thirsty and you can see on her lips they're all dry and yeah it's just disgusting.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: The operators of the Kirralee aged care home are yet to comment.

TONY EASTLEY: Samantha Donovan.  

Source: ABC AM - Reporter: Samantha Donovan