New audit for Kirralee

ANOTHER audit of Kirralee Nursing Home will take place as the facility fights to keep its accreditation and government funding.The home has been successful in asking the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency to complete another audit of the facility and re-consider the decision made earlier this month to strip it of accreditation if standards had not improved by a deadline of September 17.Agency spokesman Chris Falvey said the home was still being closely monitored by authorities and improvements were being made."They have sought reconsideration of our decision and that process is underway," he said."They formally apply for it and it will involve another full audit of the home and how they are managing and providing care for residents."We are still going there quite frequently, but we were there everyday while serious risk (of harm) was present (to residents), but that was resolved some little while back."Last week the accreditation agency and Kirralee met at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal where an adjournment was made until September 12 as the facility fights to have the original September 17 deadline lifted."The agency had previously advised that it would revoke Kirralee's accreditation on September 17 unless non-compliant issues identified in July were rectified," Kirralee spokeswoman Ingrid Svendsen said."Kirralee is seeking a stay of this decision in the AAT. At Kirralee's request the agency has sent an assessment team to review the facility. We hope that this review, coupled with the agency decision a fortnight ago to lift the serious risk findings, will provide more certainty . . . for Kirralee residents and staff." An inspection by authorities in July failed it in 33 of 44 minimum standards of care. Fortnightly meetings between management and relatives have been taking place.