Queensland Health first examined the problem in 2003, but did nothing about it until 2008. What else is new?

SING reiterates: What else is new?

A Right to Information briefing paper revealing that Queensland Health examines a problem of malnutrition being "highly prevalent" in hospital patients and residents in aged care facilities in 2003, but does nothing until 2008.


Just click on document above to read.
To read the full report just click on "PROJECT REPORT: Investigating practices related to malnutrition in Queensland Health facilities" on the right side of this website under Links and Relevant articles.

Inappropriate touching of 7 female residents at Bramble House, Eventide, Brighton deemed to be minor and fleeting.

SING ADVISES THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT YOUR ELDERLY AND DISABLED LOVED ONES RESIDING IN A NURSING HOME DO NOT HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS AS OTHER CITIZENS. IF THEY ARE HOUSED IN A DEMENTIA UNIT AND ARE INAPPROPRIATELY TOUCHED, FONDLED OR ASSAULTED BY ANOTHER RESIDENT OR EMPLOYEE, IT IS DEEMED TO BE FLEETING AND MINOR.

SING ADVISES THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT QUEENSLAND HEALTH'S TAXPAYER FUNDED PRIVATE GROUP NOTED IN THEIR REPORT: THE POLICE AND THE RELATIVES OF THE FEMALE RESIDENTS WERE NOT CONTACTED ABOUT EVERY INCIDENT, BUT THERE APPEARS TO BE NO REQUIREMENT FOR THIS UNDER THE AGED CARE ACT 1997. SING IS ADVISED THAT FAMILY MEMBERS ARE VERY RARELY INFORMED OF SUCH ASSAULTS. EVEN FAMILY MEMBERS OF THOSE WHO ARE NOT HOUSED IN A DEMENTIA UNIT ARE NOT NOTIFIED WHEN SUCH ASSAULTS OCCUR.

SING CANNOT DISCLOSE HOW MANY THOUSANDS OF TAXPAYERS DOLLARS WERE SPENT ON THESE REPORTS, BUT WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE MONEY WAS NOT WELL SPENT - AS MANY WITNESSES WERE NEVER INTERVIEWED.

SING ADVISES THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT IN JANUARY'S SENIOR NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED ON THIS WEBSITE, IT WAS REPORTED: MS PARKER WARNED THE APPARENT BIAS OF SOME INVESTIGATIONS COULD UNDERMINE THE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THE SYSTEM. SING SUGGESTS THAT THE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THE AGED CARE SYSTEM IS ALREADY COMPROMISED AND AT AN ALL TIME LOW.

THE ARTICLE ALSO STATES: IN SOME CASES, SHE SAID EVIDENCE HAD BEEN IGNORED AND INVESTIGATORS HAD NOT SPOKEN TO THE INFORMANT OR OTHER WITNESSES.

SING SUGGESTS THAT THE FINDINGS OF THIS PRIVATE COMPANY - ENGAGED BY QUEENSLAND HEALTH TO DELIVER A TRUE AND ACCURATE REPORT - IS A DISGRACE. IF THESE FEMALE RESIDENTS WERE YOUR MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER, SISTER OR AUNT WOULD YOU CONSIDER THEM BEING FONDLED OR INAPPROPRIATELY TOUCHED, MINOR OR FLEETING IN NATURE? OF COURSE NOT.

EVENTIDE MANAGEMENT HAD A DUTY OF CARE TO PROTECT THESE FEMALE RESIDENTS. EVENTIDE MANAGEMENT WERE INFORMED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THAT THESE ASSAULTS WERE TAKING PLACE. EVENTIDE MANAGEMENT ARE AWARE THAT CREDIBLE STAFF REPORTED THESE ASSAULTS WHEN THERE WERE TWO VICTIMS. THIS NUMBER ESCALATED TO SEVEN BEFORE ANY ACTION WAS TAKEN.

SING WILL SHORTLY PUBLISH THE DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE PERTAINING TO THESE SEVEN FEMALE RESIDENTS' ORDEALS AND THE MANY MONTHS IT TOOK TO ACTION SOME TYPE OF PROTECTION FOR THESE FRAIL, ELDERLY VICTIMS.

SING CHALLENGES THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND AGEING, QUEENSLAND HEALTH OR ANY OTHER INTERESTED PARTY TO REFUTE ANY EVIDENCE POSTED ON THIS WEBSITE.



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COMPLAINTS SCHEME BIAS ACCUSATIONS by Kirsty McGoldrick - The Senior January 2010. SING ASKS ONCE AGAIN - WHAT ELSE IS NEW?

Why is it any surprise to SING that Public Interest Whistleblowers, witnesses and informants are not spoken to?

Why is it any surprise to SING that evidence is ignored?

Why is it any surprise to SING that the Department of Health and Ageing refused to consider photographs offered or to conduct meetings with informants?

Why is it any surprise to SING that: In a number of cases examined by this office the statements of reasons provided by the scheme (Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme ) were insufficient, failed to make adequate findings in the material questions of fact, did not refer to the evidence, and on occasions did not address all issues complained about or investigated.

SING ASKS THE GENERAL PUBLIC: WHY ARE ANY OF US SURPRISED AT THE OUTCOME OF THIS ANNUAL REPORT? THE AGED CARE REPORTING SYSTEM OF BOTH STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS IS A DISGRACE. CREDIBLE PUBLIC INTEREST WHISTLEBLOWERS AND INFORMANTS ARE BEING BULLIED, INTIMIDATED, VICTIMISED, AND SACKED FOR SPEAKING OUT ABOUT THE ABUSE, ASSAULT AND NEGLECT OF OUR ELDERLY AND DISABLED CITIZENS.

INDEED, ANYONE WHO FULFILLS THEIR OBLIGATION UNDER THE AGED CARE ACT AND REPORTS WRONGDOING IS NOT SAFE. IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED BY OTHER GROUPS THAT LACK OF STAFF IS THE MAIN REASON FOR NEGLECT, ASSAULT AND ABUSE. SING SUGGESTS THAT ABUSE, ASSAULT AND NEGLECT IS HAPPENING IN FACILITIES THAT HAVE GOOD STAFF RATIOS.

SING SUGGESTS THAT ABUSE AND NEGLECT FLOURISHES BECAUSE THOSE CREDIBLE STAFF WHO SPEAK OUT ARE TREATED SO BADLY BY THOSE IN POSITIONS OF POWER. THE ABUSERS WHO REMAIN EMPLOYED ARE THE PEOPLE WHO FLOURISH AS THEY KNOW THEY WILL BE PROTECTED. THE CREDIBLE PUBLIC INTEREST WHISTLEBLOWERS OR INFORMANTS BECOME THE SCAPEGOAT TO MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO.

SING CHALLENGES THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT MINISTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR AGED CARE, TO VIEW THE EVIDENCE IN OUR POSSESSION. BUT WE ALL KNOW WHAT THE RESPONSE WILL BE. THE SAME AS IT HAS BEEN FOR YEARS - NOTHING.

IN SEPTEMBER 2009, THE SACKED PUBLIC INTEREST WHISTLEBLOWER PROVIDED IRREFUTABLE PROOF OF WRONGDOING TO THE OFFICE OF THE AGED CARE COMMISSIONER. COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF EVIDENCE WAS PROVIDED REGARDING A SERIOUS CASE OF ASSAULT AND ABUSE AT EBBTIDE HOUSE, EVENTIDE NURSING HOME, BRIGHTON, QUEENSLAND. THIS EVIDENCE WAS SUPPLIED TO EVENTIDE MANAGEMENT, QUEENSLAND HEALTH, THE CRIME AND MISCONDUCT COMMISSION AND THE AGED CARE COMPLAINTS INVESTIGATION SCHEME, ONE YEAR PRIOR IN SEPTEMBER 2008. THE RESULTS SO FAR ARE: ONE OF THE PUBLIC INTEREST WHISTLEBLOWERS WAS SACKED, THE OTHER SOUGHT EMPLOYMENT ELSEWHERE AND THE ABUSER IS STILL EMPLOYED AT EVENTIDE.

GOOD QUALITY MEDIA IS THE WAY TO EXPOSE WRONGDOING TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, AND THIS ALSO INCLUDES WEBSITES SUCH AS SING.


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Aged Care Commissioner's Annual Report is located on the right side of this website.