Outlined on the Department of Social Services website, the trial, called South Australian Innovation Hub, aims to come up with solutions to "reduce administrative burden for high performing providers and promote innovation". It was launched on 10 October with a group consisting of 10 aged care providers in South Australia.
As a direct result of less regulation, providers are expected to increase consumer engagement, inevitably benefitting older people and their families.
However Charmaine Crowe from the Combined Pensioners & Superannuants Association (CPSA) of NSW said at least three of the ten providers selected for the trial have failed accreditation standards and one has been criticised by the South Australian Coroner for 'lax and unsafe practices'.
Questionable conduct at chosen providers
Crowe said the trialled providers had failed a standards check in numerous areas including medication, staffing and pain management.
According to the Department of Health:
- Southern Cross (SA & NT) Incorporated failed six standards in April 2012 at its Bucklands facility, including medication management, palliative care, continence management and complaints handling. It also failed the staffing standard.
- The Society of Saint Hilarion Incorporated owned a nursing home in Lockleys that was sanctioned in December 2007 because of 'serious risk' to residents in relation to clinical care. Its House of Saint Hilarion facility failed the staffing standard in September 2013.
- Boandik Lodge Inc's Kessal Wing Nursing Home and its AF Sutton Hostel both failed the pain management standard in December 2013.
- The Helping Hand Nursing Home at Parafield Gardens was criticised by the South Australian Coroner in 2011 as having had 'lax and unsafe practices' when one of its residents died from severe burns after her clothes accidently caught alight while she was smoking unsupervised.
"How did these operators make the cut for a trial that effectively abolishes accreditation checks?" Crowe said.
"More importantly, how can the Minister for Social Services Kevin Andrews think that abolishing quality audits is acceptable, given the litany of poor standards uncovered across the industry?
"Not a week goes by without some horror story of poor care hitting the headlines.
"Accreditation checks should be bolstered, not removed as this trial aims to do.
"This trial is a farce and places the health and wellbeing of vulnerable nursing home residents at risk.
"CPSA calls for a Royal Commission into aged care to investigate the widespread abuse and neglect of older people in our nursing homes."
