'Devastating' conditions at Anglican Care's Storm Village aged care facility at Taree were raised months before sanction

Documents obtained by the Newcastle Herald reveal that the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission had been in contact with Anglican Care from as early as the start of December following a "critical incident".

A meeting with Anglican Care, which Newcastle Anglican Bishop Peter Stuart attended, was held on December 8 to discuss the incident, and staffing, and a "request for information" was sent to management the same day.

As well as the December 8 meeting, a follow-up meeting was held on January 12, before the site audit which was conducted over several days between January 17 and 24.

However, that was not enough to put an end to some of the horrendous conditions uncovered during the watchdog assessment team's site visit.

An "unexpected death", and torturous conditions, including residents being left in serious pain for days on end without prescribed medication, assessment, or clinical care, were among the issues identified at Anglican Care Storm Village.

Documents obtained by the Herald include accounts of staff and patients being regularly assaulted, serious illnesses such as pneumonia and COVID-19 being missed, and residents suffering from preventable "unstageable" pressure sores.

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission assessors found the home relies heavily on unqualified, inexperienced staff, with nearly 120 nursing and care staff shifts not filled in the four weeks leading up to January 16. That includes 41 shifts that were to be filled by enrolled and registered nursing staff.

"The assessment team raised concerns on day one" of the site audit, the internal document says.

Information in relation to specific consumers and risks of concerns were shared with Anglican Care at the end of the site audit, at 4pm, on January 24.

According to current and former staff, the impacts have been felt for many months leading up to the sanction, and they made numerous attempts to escalate those issues with management, including during the early months of 2022.

They say their complaints - about a lack of clinical and wound care, and lack of pain relief - were raised at multiple senior staff meetings, to managers, deputy managers, and to head office.

"We tried," says one former staffer.

In a media statement issued on Tuesday, February 14, in response to questions from the Newcastle Herald, the bishop said he was advised of critical staff shortages at Storm Village on November 30.

He and the Diocesan Chief Executive, John Barriga, and the Anglican Care leadership urgently worked to identify remedial action, he said in the statement.

"I personally visited Storm Village on December 22 and engaged with a number of staff and residents," the bishop said.

"The Commission's report made devastating reading and clearly indicated that further work needed to be done. Every level of the Anglican Care organisation, beginning with me, has been working consistently to improve the quality of care at Storm Village."

The bishop admitted Anglican Care has failed to deliver, saying: "We are all feeling this impact now." The organisation was "appalled" by the situation and he invited staff to "please pray" about it.

"Please pray about this situation - for those who have been adversely impacted, for the staff ensuring effective change, and for their families," the bishop says in a letter addressed to the Newcastle Anglican Community and sent to staff.

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