Crisis point: Lyndoch Living again fails aged care standards

Exclusive

Carol Altmann – The Terrier

The Lyndoch Living nursing home has again failed a string of care standards set down by the national aged care watchdog.

In another damning report released online today by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC), the nursing home has again failed to meet key measures in personal care and clinical care, staffing, and also governance. [Download the report here.]

The nursing home area is made up the two high-care units: the Audrey Prider Centre, for dementia residents, and Lake Lodge.

An ACQSC audit from September 8 to 15 revealed poor wound management, poor pain management, a lack of monitoring and documentation after resident falls, and inadequate staffing, with unfilled rosters, and remaining staff being unable to cope with the workload.

The extent and impact of understaffing at Lyndoch is graphically highlighted by the report.

It found the nursing home is unable to demonstrate that its current mix and qualifications of its workforce could deliver and manage safe and quality care and services.

“Rosters evidence that not all care shifts are filled when staff are deployed elsewhere within the service or when staff call in sick,” the report says.

“Personal care staff interviewed advised they do not always complete all tasks allocated to them.”

The report says Lyndoch management described how they are in the process of recruiting more nursing and care staff to cover current vacancies, but this has done little to address the concerns of residents and their families.

“Whilst the service was able to evidence improvements, four out of five consumer representatives expressed ongoing dissatisfaction with staffing levels within the service,” the report says.

Short staffing was also raised in regard to poor wound and pain management.

“(Lyndoch) did not demonstrate best practice clinical care in relation to wound and pain management,” the report says.

In particular, the commission found:

– Wound management plans did not always reflect wound reviews including dressing changes, photography and measurements.

– Inconsistent wound photographs and wound measurements are taken and recorded.

– The healing progress of each wound is not clearly demonstrated.

Nursing staff told the commission that staff shortages limited the ability of staff to attend to wounds as required, and to reposition residents to reduce pressure.

“Clinical staff described how wound care is impacted by staff shortages including delayed dressing and repositioning of consumers,” the report says.

The report also outlines failings in monitoring residents who had suffered falls.

Unwitnessed falls were not always documented in reports and a sample found that three out of four residents who had fallen were not effectively monitored afterward, including neurological observations and pain monitoring.

Not surprisingly, the nursing home also failed on risk management.

“The service did not demonstrate systems are in place to prevent harm from high impact or high prevalence risks such as falls,” the report says.

Despite hiring an adviser to help with its governance activities, the service “has not demonstrated current systems and processes are adequate in identifying and managing high impact or high prevalence risks”.

It is the second time this year that the Lyndoch nursing home has failed a ACQSC audit.

In July this year May Noonan Hostel in Terang, bought by Lyndoch in 2018, also failed seven out of the eight aged care standards.

The ACQSC is the peak federal body for assessing and accrediting aged care homes.

I will seek comment from Lyndoch this afternoon and update this story if or when a comment is received. In the meantime, I stand with the care staff and the poor residents.