[BITList] The State of the Nation etc.

[David Harvey]

Hugh,

I am fully aware of stories such as yours regarding your Dad. I live in a not for profit retirement village with some 650 residents living in Independent living units, a low care and two high care units with another 450 odd residents and a staff of some 300.

I chair the Residents Council and as such I also sit on the Board of Directors along with one other resident nominated from the Resident Council.

As such we can make sure that nothing like what occurred to your family. I speak on any matter and am listened to, even with regard to the CEO's salary. Minutes of my monthly formal meeting with senior staff and CEO are tabled at the Board Meeting and I  give a report of any problems at the Board Meeting.

I have attended national conventions in respect to the aged care industry and keep myself aware of the current position within the industry. Dissatisfied with some aspects of the place a couple of years ago I requested and achieved an inspection of the place and now, from time to time, lead a crocodile around the complex, complete with CEO and maintenance manager and contractor's managers, with notebook, but no white gloves. This has had a startling effect.

If I receive complaints from residents or relatives I can and do act, including food problems. Relatives are welcome to attend Resident's Meetings. I am even notified if there is an outbreak of infectious disease, usually 'flu, or if there are any unusual causes of death or other serious incidents. However, with regard to food I usually find they are unjustified. We, in fact, are particularly proud of our food services, our hotel services manager is an excellent man and his chefs, note chefs, not cooks, provide top food. We have spent a lot of money in the galley. (Mushy food is not served as such. Food is cooked to a mushy form where necessary for elderly people, then reconstituted to look like the real deal and to look appetising, but soft and digestible).

We have just completed a brand new state of the art (we claim) Care Centre (hospital) and will demolish one of the older units. We have done this from our own resources without government help. We are demolishing and rebuilding the old independent living units at the same time, in stages. Again, no government help although we have to abide by their policies. (I am not against the policies, in fact they are good, but the government do not provide the financial resources to carry out these policies). Again there is resident input into design and amenities. I also sit on the Building and Planning sub committee, and attend Finance Committee meetings if I wish, the other Resident Member sits on the Finance sub-committee. (When plans were first submitted to the town council they were rejected, one of the reasons being that the place was "Too modern, does not look like an aged care facility")

To make sure that I don't become subverted to the other side I must stand for election to the Resident Council every two years and to the Board every year. I cannot be a Board member in excess of nine years. I believe we are the only Village with this system in place in the country, but the industry and government have taken notice. Staff, and some of the then Board Members,were horrified at the idea when first mooted, but now all agree it rates up there with sliced bread. I must here state that our volunteer Board Members come from the top of their professions and are excellent people, we are lucky to have them.

I also have had input into Government legislation and am in regular contact with State and Federal politicians, they usually come to me with problems.

In addition to the above government inspections are very rigorous, and bureaucratic as well. I could go on, but what you describe, which is completely unacceptable and inhumane and cannot happen here at this Village, but problems do arise elsewhere. Having said that though the problems that do happen are often magnified by the press and/or by financial problems or by the lack of staff often due to financial pressures. This overflows to poor supervision etc etc, but in no way excuses what happened in your case. (In one case here there was a major investigation when one aged person was tied into a chair by a staff member. It turned out to be justified to a certain extent but was against guidelines and the staff member was 'counselled'. This report had to be submitted to the government agency.

Dave

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