An internal email from a manager at a Bupa aged care home, accidentally sent to residents’ families, says residents have been losing weight and that mealtimes at the home are not meeting Bupa’s own standards.
Screenshots of the email were posted anonymously last week in the Facebook group Aged Care at Home Forum Australia, with the poster saying the message had been sent by mistake to family members.
Screenshots of the email sparked a strong reaction from both aged care staff and care recipients who utilise the online forum to share tips, advice and vent frustration regarding Australian aged care services.
Bupa has since confirmed the email is real.
Addressed to staff, the email opens by stating that residents have been “losing weight”. The manager attributes this in part to poor mealtimes, writing that although there has been a “slight improvement over the last two weeks”, the home is “still not aligned with Bupa process”.
The manager then accuses some staff of taking meals before residents have been served, describing this as “basically stealing food from the residents”. Staff are told that Bupa does not supply food to them, and that taking residents’ drinks, including cans of soft drink, will be treated as theft and “serious misconduct” that will “lead to the termination of your employment”.
The email goes on to announce changes. Bupa’s “mealtime matters” program is to be rolled out in one part of the home the following Wednesday, and a servery will open at night in another. Staff are asked to encourage as many residents as possible to the dining room, to know whether they are assigned to trays or dining and be on time, and to stop putting residents to bed at the start of an afternoon shift.
On that last point, the manager writes that residents “have a choice”, adding that “it’s their choice not yours”.
The email closes with a warning: “if you care about our residents then you need to change your approach when it comes to meals.”
Bupa was approached for comment and replied two days later with a statement, which did not answer the specific questions put to it about the email.
“An internal email intended for our team at one of our aged care homes was inadvertently sent to a small number of residents’ families this week,” the statement said. “We apologise for the error.”
Bupa said the email was intended to “reinforce expectations of our employees and support continuous improvement in mealtime experiences”, adding that it knows “the important role nutrition and hydration play in our residents’ health and wellbeing”.
The statement continued: “We regularly monitor residents’ nutritional needs and have established processes in place to support them at mealtimes to ensure they receive appropriate care.”
The email surfaced as Bupa is reportedly exploring a sale of its Australian aged care business. The Australian has reported that Bupa Asia Pacific has appointed Morgan Stanley to explore a sale of its 57 Australian homes, with the combined Australian and New Zealand portfolio estimated to be worth more than $2 billion.
