Ballarat Health Service's Talbot Place aged care home has failed three accreditation standards during its latest audit.
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Inspectors from the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission found Talbot Place failed on practices involving behavioural management, privacy and dignity, and the living environment of the 29 residents in the Dana Street home.
Following the audit on January 22 and 23, management and staff were criticised for not creating an environment to foster the dignity and respect of residents.
"Although there are strategies listed in care plans and assessments, feedback from staff, care recipients and representatives, including observations demonstrate a negative impact to care recipients' dignity, respect and wellbeing," the assessors wrote in their report.
They continued that staff dealing with residents with "responsive behaviours" including agitation, apathy, anxiety, aggression, depression, disinhibition, psychotic symptoms, sleep disturbance, vocally disruptive behaviour and wandering, and individual needs "failed to foster a person-centered care philosophy".
"Feedback from some care recipients and representatives interviewed indicated they thought staff are not always dignified or respectful in their interaction with care recipients," the assessors said.
The centre was also found to have problems with physical aggression between residents.
"Strategies employed to minimise care recipient to care recipient physical aggression are not effective. Feedback from care recipients, representatives and staff indicate the responsive behaviours of one care recipient are potentially impacting on the safety of other care recipients in the living environment.
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"While the majority of care recipients and representatives interviewed are satisfied the living environment is safe and comfortable, some said staff could do more to manage care recipients with responsive behaviours."
The shortcoming in aggression management contributed to fails in both living standards and behavioural management outcomes.
"The service cannot demonstrate its approach to behavioural management is effective in preventing incidents of responsive behaviours," the report cited.
"Assessment and care planning for care recipients with responsive behaviours occurs however documented strategies to manage behaviours are not consistently implemented by staff or are not effective. A significant number of staff said strategies in place to manage the behaviours of one care recipient are ineffective and they cannot prevent the impact of their behaviours on other care recipients."
Most residents and representatives said they felt safe, but they felt staff could do more to prevent and manage challenging residents.
In four previous audits conducted from 2009 to 2015 the home met the standards for all 44 expected outcomes.
BHS said after the issues were highlighted they immediately put in to place a number of action to address the commission's concerns and ensure residents received the highest quality care.
"Actions have included increasing lifestyle programs for residents, reviewing clinical processes, a range of enhanced support, safety and engagement measures with residents and their families, additional care conferences and further training for Talbot Place staff," BHS said in a statement.
"We will continue to work with the staff, residents and their relatives to ensure the living environment meets the highest standards of safe, respectful and quality care."
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission reaccredited Talbot Place for two years, with stipulations that a revised plan for continuous improvement was submitted by March 14, and a timetable for making improvements be developed by April 29.
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