Bankisa Village and Lodge at Broulee. Photo: Bankisa Facebook.
Banksia Lodge at Broulee is working to address a number of care issues raised during an inspection by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission late last year. The residential aged care facility was subject to an unannounced re-accreditation audit on December 5 and 6.
The Commission found:
- The home does not have a system to ensure there is enough appropriately skilled and qualified staff to meet the needs of care recipients.
- Ongoing nursing care assessment is not always undertaken.
- Care recipients are not as free as possible from pain. Care recipients/representatives told us care recipients experience pain which is not relieved by the strategies provided by the home. The home’s pain management program is not being implemented and is able to be achieved with the current allocated resources.
- Care recipients’ medication is not managed safely or correctly.
- Wound care is not always attended as directed, monitored or evaluated. Staff do not demonstrate skill in skin care or wound management.
- Issues relating to medication administration, pain management, skin care, continence care, behavioural management, nutrition and hydration and clinical assessment and planning of care;
- The home has an ineffective system for providing kitchen staff with each care recipients’ hydration and nutritional needs, to allow staff to provide appropriate meals.
All up Banksia Lodge was found be needing improvement in 9 of 44 areas prescribed by the Accreditation Standards. Despite this the Commission has re-accredited Banksia Lodge for a period of 1 year and set a period for improvement which ended last month.
A further audit was conducted by the Commission on March 6 and 7. This assessment resulted in Banksia Lodge being found to satisfy 43 of 44 required outcomes. A further period of improvement has been set which concludes May 6.
In a media statement, Banksia CEO, Graham Wise, says that he was disappointed with the re-accreditation result and that Banksia had undertaken an organisation wide response to address the areas of non-compliance.
“As a not for profit mission-based organisation, Banksia is committed to delivering on its promise to residents and their families,” Mr Wise says
“Banksia will take all steps necessary to meet its compliance obligations and to ensure the safety of residents.”
Mr Wise noted the one remaining unmet outcome is subject to a continuous improvement plan that will see clear compliance within the period of improvement set by the Commission.
“Banksia has owned its failures and communicated openly with stakeholders,” he says.
“We have engaged with residents, families, and staff throughout the entire process.
“An open meeting was held with residents, families, and staff on Thursday, April 18. This was an excellent opportunity for an open and honest discussion about the weaknesses that were identified, what works have been undertaken and what still needs to be done to ensure Banksia is not only meeting its compliance obligations but is also meeting its own high standards for service and care.”
Mr Wise adds that actions taken since the initial re-accreditation audit include doubling clinical resources, to deliver 24/7 Registered Nurse coverage, and an increase of more than 20% in care and dementia support hours.
“Banksia will continue to communicate with residents, families and staff to ensure that all stakeholders are kept informed of the situation,” he says.
“Any community member requiring additional information is invited to contact myself or Director of Care, Hannah Wellington.”
Bankisa is one of two other Far South Coast aged care facilities to fail accreditation standards in recent months, IRT Dalmeny was pinged in February 2019, Bupa Eden in January 2019.
The issues raised for all three facilities come in the context of the Royal Commission into Aged Care which is still taking submission and will hold its next round of hearings in Sydney from May 6.
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