A Perth nursing home has failed to meet 36 out of 44 national industry benchmarks, with a report revealing the facility was so poorly managed it lacked even basic procedures to ensure its elderly residents received enough food and water. 

The shocking report card for Hilton’s John Mercer Lodge is a huge embarrassment for owner-operator Silver Chain, which has a reputation as one of the best aged-care providers in the country. 

The Federal Government slapped sanctions on the nursing home in early October, freezing funding for new residents for six months, in response to concerns that residents were at serious risk. 

While the Government considers these risks have since been mitigated and Silver Chain has begun an intensive plan to bring the facility up to scratch, the investigation revealed a litany of problems. 

One of the most serious findings was that there was no effective infection control program, leaving residents at risk of potentially life-threatening disease outbreaks. 

The risk was heightened by staff who did not always follow food safety rules or forgot to wash their hands. 

Some residents complained they had been left to suffer in pain, according to the Government’s Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency, which conducted the investigation. 

Also, there were a lack of standard systems to ensure residents received appropriate clinical care, food, drinks and medication. 

The agency’s report was peppered with references to a lack of skills and knowledge among staff, many of whom were casual employees hired to fill the gaps when a number of permanent staff members left several months ago. 

The staff shortage exacerbated operational headaches caused by the transfer in July of dozens of residents from Silver Chain’s Claremont facility, which is being renovated. 

Silver Chain chief executive Chris McGowan said the not-for-profit group was making a huge effort to improve John Mercer Lodge and was confident of making the Government’s deadline of January 31 to meet all the 44 industry benchmarks. 

He believed the problems identified at the 134-bed home had been mostly failure to comply with correct procedures, not a lowering of the actual quality of care. 

“Thirty-six out of 44 is a disappointing number, but we have decided not to debate any of those points,” he said. 

“Instead, we are just totally committing to fixing them before January 31. We know it’s a big task but we are a big organisation with a lot of capacity across the organisation to achieve this.” 

Residents and their families who spoke to The West Australian yesterday said they were fully aware of the home’s problems but believed Silver Chain was doing a good job of solving them.

Source: The West Australian - Dawn Gibson