Two months after being audited by the national watchdog, staff shortages at Lyndoch are reaching crisis point.Carol Altmann – The Terrier
I know we are all still digesting the distressing fact that Lyndoch Living has slipped further in its duty of care to look after the elderly, but this is important:
Before breaking that story yesterday, I had planned to post these roster shortages for the Audrey Prider Centre and Lake Lodge – the two, high-care areas that make up what is called the “nursing home”.
These are the very same areas that were the focus of yesterday’s bombshell that Lyndoch had failed four more national standards of care.
These are the areas that were found by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to be under stress from severe staff shortages.
That was based on the commission looking closely at Lyndoch in September.
September.
Yet here we are, and nothing has changed. These are the shift shortages for the past couple of days: it is dire.
So if things were grim in September, I can only imagine what the commission would report if it turned up now.
And I hope they do turn up, unannounced, very soon because this cannot wait until the reaccreditation at the end of February. The commission has the power to do this. It can apply sanctions at any time.
Roster call-outs reveal chronic shortages in the high-care areas of Lyndoch Living.Our local Federal member Dan Tehan gave a statement to the local paper today which says the commission is still deciding what to do in response to the latest failings.
I hope they intervene, because these rosters show that we cannot hope that things will miraculously improve. They won’t.
A stream of experienced staff have gone on sick leave, stress leave or resigned since the commission’s last audit in September. They want to work at Lyndoch, but they can no longer tolerate what is going on.
This has nothing to do with national staff shortages, Covid, or the Royal Commission. It has everything to do with the Lyndoch culture and priorities.
We know it, the staff know it, and surely the commission is starting to catch on.
Yet while the walls crumble around them, Lyndoch once again shows no contrition or remorse for these failings. It once again tells the paper that it has “an action plan”. It said the same thing earlier this year.
Clearly, that action plan is not working and Lyndoch is going backwards, from failing one standard, to now failing four.
My hope is the commission does not wait for it to deteriorate even further before taking action, because at the centre of all this are real people, elderly, vulnerable people, beautiful people from our local community, who are not able to smile and laugh for the Lyndoch Facebook page, but who are instead in need of our help. We are there for them, and those who care for them.
Thankyou to every single one of you who is prepared to stay the course and fight this fight.
Sadly, we can now expect the death of a resident to eventuate. The directors need to stand up and take responsibility. Do they not realise if a death occurs under these conditions they may be held personally and/or criminally liable. I know what I’d be doing if I was on that board. There are two options. A hard conversation with the CEO to ‘right the ship’ and consider one’s future very quickly. Or immediately exit stage left (resign) and put some distance between this mess and oneself. You’d want your reasons reflected in the minutes as well. A tact taken by some former directors no doubt. The ball is now squarely in the directors’ court. They’re personably responsible. The law says so. They can no longer hide behind the corporate veil. Neither the law nor insurance will protect them. In fact, if they’re knowingly not complying with regulatory requirements insurance will not protect them.
COTA should join in putting pressure on Lyndoch and the powers that be to act on the dire findings.
Does not say much for the board & CEO.