JourneyOnline
UnitingCare Queensland Director Anne Cross has said that the article “Aged Care Disgrace” printed in the Sunday Mail (22 October 2006) was both incorrect and unnecessarily alarmist and that all Blue Care aged care homes identified in the article are fully compliant with accreditation standards.
“All Blue Care aged facilities identified by the Sunday Mail were fully compliant at the time of the first assessment or have met their timetable for improvement set by the Accreditation Agency to reach full compliance,” said Ms Cross.
“Only a few of these sites needed to follow up issues in areas of resident care.
Ms Cross said all the sites identified by the Sunday Mail have also undergone a rigorous follow up process, including unannounced visits, by the Accreditation Agency to ensure the standards are met
The Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing confirmed this week that all Blue Care facilities named by the Sunday Mail are fully compliant with the Accreditation Standards.
“Blue Care has a commitment to continuous improvement and high standards of quality care and welcomes the accreditation process as a way of identifying areas that need improvement,” Ms Cross said.
“Given the size and number of homes run by Blue Care the real story is very impressive and a tribute to the dedicated and committed staff who provide care and manage the services provided by Blue Care throughout the state.”
Ms Cross also rejected the suggestion by the Sunday Mail article and editorial that Moderator was not prepared to comment.
“Our established protocol for responding to media enquiries is to refer the enquiry to the most senior staff member who is accountable for the issue being raised. In line with this protocol, The Moderator, the Director of UnitingCare and the Executive Director of Blue Care met to discuss the request from the journalist.
“Having discussed the matters raised by the journalist and reviewing the evidence, it was decided that it made sense for Blue Care Executive Director Steve Muggleton to be the key spokesperson as he had the most in depth experience of the processes and the issues raised by the journalist.
“This was conveyed to the Sunday Mail journalist.”
Photo : UnitingCare Queensland Director Anne Cross
