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Seventy aged care residents have been left homeless after the operator closed the private facility abruptly and without warning on Thursday afternoon.
Police were called to Earle Haven Retirement Village on Queensland’s Gold Coast amid reports of a disturbance.
The 70 residents were taken to hospital or moved to nearby facilities after somebody at the home called triple 0 advising emergency services that the home had gone into administration, according to The Gold Coast Bulletin.
The State Health Minister Steven Miles said patient records vanished, leaving paramedics and doctors scrambling to determine how best to treat and care for residents.
Queensland Nurse and Midwives Union’s Bernadette O’Connor said that “she had never seen anything like it”.
Money seems to be at the heart of the abrupt shutdown of an #agedcare facility last night with a dispute between owner Arthur Miller of People Care & contractor Help Street who claimed they haven't been paid for 2 months. https://t.co/54idVGQHQG
— ANMF - Australian Nursing Midwifery Federation (@anmf_federal) July 12, 2019
Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Senator Richard Colbeck, said in a statement that the sub-contractor withdrew all services and equipment form the site, leaving it uninhabitable.
“It appears that this incident arose from a contractual dispute between the approved aged care provider and a sub-contractor who was providing administrative, nursing, catering and other support services,” Colbeck said.
“I express my sincere appreciation for the assistance of Queensland Health, local emergency services, and other aged care providers who made facilities available to accommodate the residents.
“I will be looking to bring the full force possible of action onto those who put residents of Earle Haven in such a terrible position – it is simply unacceptable.”
I think we need a serious discussion about whether there is a place for for-profit aged care in this country. Police called after aged-care home shuts suddenly, residents potentially homeless https://t.co/jgmb4tvm32 via @ABCNews
— Brian Mitchell MP (@BrianMitchellMP) July 11, 2019
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission released a statement today promising immediate action, while LASA CEO Sean Rooney again called on the government to look into the funding and viability of aged care for-profit providers.
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