QT: Southern Cross Rosary Gardens – early removal of residents
Ms BURNET question to MINISTER for HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING, Mrs ARCHER
[10.21 a.m.]
I'm receiving multiple disturbing reports about the early removal of residents from Southern Cross Rosary Gardens against their will. This facility has been bought by the THS for $33 million, with the settlement date in June, and takes 96 beds out of an already overburdened aged care system. I've received a harrowing personal account from one constituent, corroborated by staff at the facility, of the strategies being used to remove these extremely vulnerable residents against their will. Are you or your department aware of these reports of removal of residents against their will to other facilities before the settlement, and the physical and psychological distress this is causing to residents and their families? Is your government turning a blind eye to the shameful treatment of these residents in a bid to facilitate their earlier removal?
ANSWER
Honourable Speaker, and I thank the honourable member for her question. It is an important question. I have received representations from constituents, as well, in relation to this matter. I had a very constructive meeting a week or so ago with the Federal Assistant Minister, Rebecca White, as well as Council on the Ageing (COTA) representatives from the Department of Health, and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF), in relation to Rosary Gardens.
At the outset, issues around residents are a matter for Southern Cross Care and Rosary Gardens. The department has made the decision to purchase Rosary Gardens after Southern Cross has determined that they were going to go down this road. We have been very flexible in relation to that for timing. We continue to liaise with those stakeholders, as I have said, in relation to that.
In relation to specific individuals and to some of the issues that you raised, I would remind people of the systems that exist such as the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission as well, and would encourage people if they have concerns with the care that they are receiving, to reach out to that body.
Supplementary Question
Ms BURNET - I thank the minister for her answer, but I am concerned about these vulnerable people at late stages of their life. I am also concerned about the 96 beds that will be taken out of aged care facilities. Is there any concern that you have in relation to those 96 beds that will be removed from aged care?
Mrs ARCHER - As I said, we share the concerns about aged care generally and the provision of aged care beds. I've previously stood here and continued to talk about the number of stranded patients that exist in our hospital systems, for example. I welcome the announcements in recent days by the federal government in relation to continued investment into aged care and expanding aged care places in Tasmania, and that is obviously also a matter for the federal government. Of course we remain concerned about that, which is why, as I said as recently as in the last few days, we continue to engage with stakeholders including the federal government, the workforce, COTA and others.