When Penny Stewart entered residential care nearly twenty months ago, she brought with her the sharp mind of a veteran English teacher and the determination of a former restaurant owner.
She knew how to communicate, how to organise, and how to advocate. But nothing prepared her for the sheer, exhausting wall of bureaucratic indifference she would face just trying to get management to listen.
Penny’s journey is a sobering look at what happens when a resident attempts to use the formal channels of complaint in Australia’s aged care system.
Out of 130 residents at her facility, Penny estimates that only about 10 are capable of speaking up for themselves. Recognising her position of privilege, she’s taken it upon herself to fight.
When older Australians enter residential care, the transition can be bumpy – especially when it comes to food and meals. With 50% of older Australians at risk of malnutrition, rising complaints about food in aged care need to not only be heard, but addressed.
Penny’s concerns began on arrival and were initially met with immediate resistance. When she challenged a manager to eat the food being served, she wasn’t met with curiosity or empathy. “He just waved me away,” she recalls.
Refusing to back down, Penny escalated her concerns to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission late last year.
The regulatory pressure briefly forced management to come to the table, resulting in weekly – and then fortnightly – meetings between Penny, the chef, and the center manager. For months, Penny sat in these meetings, presented photographic evidence, and offered constructive feedback. Management smiled, nodded, and promised changes.
Then, the Commission closed the case.
As soon as the regulatory oversight vanished, the meetings were abruptly stopped, and the promised changes dissolved into nothing.
It’s what happens when a regulatory framework fails to truly believe or validate the lived experiences of the people it’s meant to protect. Even when facility leaders look her in the eye and admit that the day-to-day reality is unacceptable, the institutional momentum ensures that absolutely nothing happens.
After paying around $1,200 a week for residential care and spending an additional $15,000 a year out of pocket, just to look after her own basic nutritional needs, Penny is fed up.
“I’ve run out of steam,” she admits, a heartbreaking confession from a natural leader who simply wanted the system to work. Her 20-month saga is a stark reminder to aged care leaders that ignoring residents doesn’t make their problems go away: it just breaks their spirit.
I sympathise completely with Penny, and every other person who has been beating their head against a brick wall. It is not only residential care complaints that go unanswered. The Manager of a well-known Community Care Provider rang my Mother’s phone ten whole weeks after she had died, to ask how she was getting on. They got me, instead. When I complained to the Provider, they thanked me for my ‘feedback’. When I complained further, they said that they were ‘saddened that I had thought to complain’. When I asked if they were still receiving funding for her care, they replied ‘Of course’. Even a complaint to the Regulator went nowhere. I call it Universal Apathy. The Provider later stated that they had ‘rung my Mother repeatedly’ during those ten weeks and got no answer, saying they were ‘starting to get a little bit worried about her.’
The system has not improved. I fought for years about a facilities mismanagement in all areas of “Care” and the problems continued unabated. (Even got worse) Even the staff helping the residents were not happy due to bullying and harassment from those above. The organisation, a large not for profit “did not care “.
The issues got worse with harassment of the residents, family members, supporters who complained. Complaints processes to the Commission were a waste of time with nothing been done.
Furthermore, complaining to the Commission resulted in attacks from the services senior managers (HQ staff). Victimisation was severe to those who raised complaints to the Complaint’s Commission.
I have lodged complaints with the ACQSC twice. They say all the right things and have providers promise to rectify deficiencies in care. They might even do follow up audits if resources allow. But, even after the implementation of the new Aged Care Act, they are still a toothless tiger. I don’t know if they have applied any of the new penalties for deficient care, but I doubt it. There may be other reasons for ACQSC being an ineffective enforcer of elder rights but I suspect that one of them is that they don’t want to create an enforcement regime that scares providers into leaving the sector or that prevents much needed new providers from entering the sector. So, providers essentially get to ‘make their own rules.’
In the meantime, our elderly loved ones do not have the quality care that the new Act promised. It’s a very sad reflection on our society.
This article made my shackles rise!
May I suggest that the lady, who was simply trying to offer constructive criticism and was being patronised and ignored could contact OPAN 1800 700 600 and/or Seniors Rights and ask them to pursue her concerns.
Good nutrition is crucial for us all but especially older people.
Good Luck!