SA government removed restraints from disability aged care facility following discovery of concerning practices

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The State Government has removed mechanical restraints from its Northgate aged care home after the Commonwealth discovered concerning practices. The government says it's working hard to fix the failings at the facility, which looks after 23 residents with disabilities.

Transcript

00:00The day after the ABC exposed failings at Disability SA Northgate, the Government has

00:08revealed a significant action.

00:10We have an advisor in place and have effectively removed those mechanical restraints from the

00:16site.

00:17An unannounced audit by the Federal Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission in November

00:22found staff had inappropriately used restraints to stop falls and control residents' behaviour.

00:28The regulator found Northgate's management acknowledged high use of the practices, that

00:33staff did not have sound knowledge of mechanical restraints and the service did not demonstrate

00:39a culture that fully supported their minimisation.

00:43When we found there has been an issue, we have worked very diligently and quickly, particularly

00:47in the last couple of months since I've come on site.

00:50Federal laws around the use of restrictive practices were strengthened after a royal commission

00:54into the nation's aged care sector.

00:57So I think federal aged care standards were being followed but not to the extent to which

01:03the commission was satisfied.

01:05The Government says the facility's clinical leadership team was following NDIS guidelines

01:10which led to the shortcomings.

01:12One particular set of guidelines was followed but another set of guidelines wasn't followed

01:16and we're not talking about staffing or other problems being something that's come up in this

01:20particular case.

01:21But staff shortages were cited in the regulator's report as sometimes the reason for the use

01:27of restrictive practices.

01:29Was that acceptable?

01:30I know that was written in the report.

01:34We've done an enormous piece of work to look at workforce.

01:37The report stated training had fallen behind and the facility regularly relied on agency staff.

01:44What's the staff culture like?

01:46We've brought in leadership and skills from the sector and are seeing a shift and a much better

01:53understanding of what's required.

01:56The Greens say there's been a lack of transparency.

01:59Why didn't the Government come clean on this last year when the matter first came to light?

02:04Why is it only now that we are finding that the State Government has fallen short of meeting

02:11its obligations to older South Australians?

02:14The Government says residents' families have been kept informed.

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