The aged care watchdog has identified residents at the Jeta Gardens nursing home in Logan, south of Brisbane, to be at "immediate and severe risk" amid a COVID-19 outbreak.
Ten residents of the aged care facility at Bethania, in Logan City, have died during the Omicron wave and at least 100 residents and 82 staff have tested positive for the virus.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) issued Jeta Gardens with a "notice to agree" this week ordering the nursing home to fund training for its staff in best practice infection prevention and control.
Jeta Gardens has also been ordered to appoint an adviser to assist management in complying with its responsibilities under federal government legislation.
The nursing home has been the subject of a non-compliance notice since October last year after the ACQSC found its COVID-19 outbreak management plan to be deficient.
This week, after receiving further complaints about the Logan facility, the ACQSC lowered the nursing home's compliance rating to "inadequate", identifying there was an "immediate and severe risk to the safety, health or well-being" of residents.
Queensland Nursing and Midwives Union (QNMU) secretary Beth Mohle said Jeta Gardens had been the subject of repeated complaints during the past two years.
Ms Mohle said she had been advised the nursing home had just one registered nurse rostered on to care for more than 170 residents during a recent shift amid its ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
"How is this at all acceptable? It isn't," Ms Mohle said.
"If you don't have that, how can there be confidence in the system?
"There's no regulation that requires minimum safe staffing — there's no care guarantee in aged care at all. How can that be allowed to happen?
"We've just got to double down on keeping the vulnerable safe."
Since the coronavirus pandemic began, 247 people have died in Queensland with COVID-19, with 127 of them aged care residents.
Of the 247 COVID-19 deaths, 19 of them were fully vaccinated and had received a booster shot — just 7.69 per cent.
Ms Mohle said the pandemic had shone a light on the treatment of aged care residents, calling on the public to reflect on "what our priorities are".
"We cannot divert the gaze," Ms Mohle said.
Under the ACQSC notice to agree, Jeta Gardens must provide a written training plan to the aged care watchdog by February 14 and written evidence of the successful completion of staff training by June 3.
The aged care facility must also participate in regular teleconferences with the ACQSC and prepare regular written reports to enable ACQSC to monitor Jeta Gardens' progress towards returning to compliance.
Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath this week called for urgent Commonwealth intervention into the nursing home over concerns about infection control and staffing levels.
"I'll be watching this very closely," Ms D'Ath said.
Staff 'going above and beyond'
In a statement on Friday evening, Jeta Gardens chief executive officer Wesley Carter said aged care facilities across Queensland had been impacted by the COVID pandemic and many residents had become infected.
"Sadly, some have passed away as a direct result of COVID — we at Jeta Gardens are no exception," Mr Carter said.
"We understand this is a very difficult time, and our heartfelt thoughts are with residents and families across Australia who have suffered a loss."
Mr Carter said the Omicron surge had presented aged care providers with significant challenges "as we work to keep our vulnerable residents safe and comfortable".
He praised Jeta Gardens staff who had "bravely and selflessly shouldered the load, often working double shifts, working on days off, and going above and beyond to ensure our residents receive excellent care and essential daily services".
